Today’s growth figures will have elicited a sigh of relief across the government. A meagre 0.1 per cent uptick is certainly better than a recession.

Though the news is not all good. The economy is smaller on a per capita terms, and when you dig down into the data, private sector activity is shrinking. An ominous warning sign for the year ahead.

This is hardly the turn of events hoped by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has undoubtedly made a faltering start on in addressing his self-declared top priority: economic growth.

This all goes back to last July. Just days after the election the government began emphasising fiscal ‘black hole’ inherited from the previous administration.

This political strategy backfired by creating fear among consumers,........

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