UK economy shrinks as economists warn of more pain to come

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Statistics show that Britain’s economy shrank in the three months to September, and forecasters are warning of many months of contraction to come. The Office for National Statistics said Friday that gross domestic product fell by 0.2% between July and September. It said a decline in manufacturing output and an extra holiday to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II were behind the decline. It said the U.K. economy is now 0.2% smaller than in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Britain’s economy is struggling as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has driven up food and energy costs. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt is due to announce tax increases and public spending cuts next week.