Ross Clark Ross Clark

Why GDP growth has nothing to do with the World Cup or the warm weather

We don’t hear much of the phrase ‘despite Brexit’ any more – it is just a little too obvious. Instead, pro-remain news sources have decided to apportion good economic news on the weather and the World Cup. This morning, the ONS announced that GDP growth in the three months to the end of July had risen to 0.6 per cent, the fastest for a year and doing much to make up for a sluggish first quarter. The Guardian was quick to identify what it saw as the reason, giving the news the headline: ‘UK Growth Picks up to 0.6 per cent after World Cup and heatwave boost.’ The BBC followed suit, saying: ‘UK growth helped by World Cup and warm weather’, and the FT: ‘The UK’s scorching summer fuelled a recovery in retail and construction.’

That is, of course, a consensus.

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