UK Economy Grows Above Forecasts, But Tariffs Threaten Progress

The rise in GDP comes as a boost for the Labour government, which struggled to kickstart stagnant growth since it came into power in July (Credit: AFP)

Britain's economy grew more than expected in the first quarter, official data showed Thursday, covering the period before business tax hikes and US President Donald Trump's tariffs blitz took effect.

Gross domestic product rose 0.7 percent in the January-to-March period after only growing slightly in the final quarter of last year, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.