Britain's resilient economy has continued to defy forecasts of a sharp slowdown after the Brexit poll with “undeniably encouraging” growth, according to official figures today.
GDP grew by 0.6 per cent in the three months to December, the same rate as the previous two quarters, said the Office for National Statistics.
For 2016, it was up by 2 per cent, slightly slower than the 2.2 per cent in 2015.
The growth was higher than expected and countered predictions before and after the June 23 referendum that Britain would be plunged into “inevitable” recession if it voted to quit the EU.
The surge was driven by the services sector, which accounts for almost 80 per cent of the economy and it grew by 0.8 per cent, with retail, hotel and restaurant trades doing well.
The previously struggling manufacturing sector also performed strongly, with a 0.7 per cent rise.
The Bill paving the way for Theresa May to trigger Brexit was being rushed out on Thursday afternoon.
Senior Tories said it would be “very brief” and tightly worded to prevent Opposition MPs delaying it with amendments.
