Stride says Starmer and Reeves are ‘in office but not in power’

The Shadow Chancellor has said the Prime Minister and the Chancellor are “in office but not in power” as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show the economy has shrunk.

UK GDP fell 0.1% month-on-month in September, below expectations for no growth and following a 0.1% rise in August, and GDP rose 0.1% in the three months to September.

Services activity grew 0.2% month-on-month, whilst construction activity grew 0.2% month-on-month and production activity fell 2.0% month-on-month.

Sir Mel Stride said on Thursday morning, Today’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show the economy shrank in the latest month, under a Prime Minister and Chancellor who are in office but not in power.

Months after the Prime Minister stripped the Chancellor of responsibility for the Budget, Keir Starmer has now lost control of his own Downing Street operation – with his team openly at war with his Cabinet.

If the Prime Minister does not have the backbone to control his team, he has no hope of reducing spending.

Only the Conservatives have a leader with a backbone and a plan to deliver £47billion of savings – allowing us to cut tax and cut the deficit under our golden economic rule.

Liz McKeown, the ONS’ director of economic statistics, said, “Growth slowed further in the third quarter of the year with both services and construction weaker than in the previous period.

“There was also a further contraction in production.”