The latest GDP figures showed the economy contracted in October, with GDP down by 0.1% putting pressure on the chancellor. The reading is dismal, as it followed a fall of 0.1% in September and no growth in August, the latest Office for National Statistics figures showed.

Services fell by 0.3% in the month, while construction was down by 0.6%. The only bright spot was manufacturing and production, which was up by 1.1%, in October 2025 but this figure is distorted by the return to car production at JLR.