Economic growth is back – but the battle with inflation means it may prove fleeting

Jeremy Hunt is left crossing his fingers and hoping the Bank of England can finally tackle rising prices by the end of this year, says James Moore

The chancellor has praised the ‘resilience’ of the UK economy (PA)

Britain’s economy is coughing and spluttering like an old banger trying to start on a cold day, but there is growth.

UK plc expanded by 0.2 per cent in April, per the first estimate from the Office for National Statistics. (This number was produced from a limited set of data and could be revised up or down.) It represents a rather limp rebound from March’s 0.3 per cent decline, but a welcome rebound nonetheless.

However, a dive into the figures suggests we shouldn’t get too excited.