ONS said on Thursday UK GDP rose 0.1% MoM in May, reversing April’s 0.1% decline and underscoring consumer and business resilience versus market expectations. The print arrives amid political turbulence—Labour leader Starmer suffered heavy May local

2026-07-16

ONS said on Thursday UK GDP rose 0.1% MoM in May, reversing April’s 0.1% decline and underscoring consumer and business resilience versus market expectations. The print arrives amid political turbulence—Labour leader Starmer suffered heavy May local election losses, boosting speculation of another prime ministerial change—and amid higher energy costs from the Middle East conflict that have pushed oil prices up and weighed on market confidence. The OECD warned that Burnham, expected to replace Starmer next Monday, would inherit an economy facing "significant challenges".