Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news
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The UK economy will be under the microscope today, less than two weeks before a crucial budget.
The latest GDP data, to be released at 7am, will show how the economy fared in September, and over the third quarter of this year. Economists predict small quarterly growth – of perhaps 0.2%, down from 0.3% in April-June.
September could be trickier, though; the economy may have felt the chill of pre-budget uncertainty. It certainly faced disruption in the auto sector, with carmaker Jaguar Land Rover forced to suspend production for the month due to a cyber attack.
The JLR hack drove car production at British factories to the lowest level for a September since 1952, which will surely hit the wider measure of activity.
A poor GDP report will intensify the criticism of chancellor Rachel Reeves’s handling of the economy, as she prepares her budget statement on 26 November.
Weak growth could also spur the Bank of England towards cutting interest rates again, with a December cut already looking quite likely….
7am GMT: UK GDP report for September, and Q3 2025
7am GMT: UK trade report for September
9am GMT: IEA’s monthly oil market repor
Noon BST: Bank of England policymaker Megan Greene: Panellist at Chatham house event ‘Is the age of central bank independence under threat?’