Britain’s economy stagnated in the final quarter of 2019 but over the course of the full year it grew faster than most other major economies.

Official figures show that GDP was flat in the three months to December as a slump in manufacturing offset small gains in the services sector. The reading was in line with economists’ expectations. In 2019 as a whole, the economy grew by 1.4 per cent, up from 1.3 per cent in 2018 and better than analysts’ forecasts.

Rob Kent-Smith, head of GDP at the ONS, said: “There was no growth in the last quarter of 2019 as increases in the services and construction sectors were offset by another poor showing from manufacturing, particularly the motor industry.”

The manufacturing sector, which