‘It’s all pie in the sky!’ Britons react as economy declines for the second month: ‘We are in recession’

Britons have shared their negative reactions to the latest economic downturn, with concerns growing about a potential recession.

The comments come as Britain’s economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.1 per cent in October, official data revealed today, marking the second consecutive month of decline.

“Feel it’s probably a government of recession. The way we’re going, it’s like we’re possibly going into sort of a period of austerity again,” one person remarked to GB News.

Another Briton commented: “They’ve got good intention, Labour. I just don’t think they’re going to do it. I just think it’s it’s all pie in the sky and we’ll see.”

A different person noted: “I think it was positive to start with, but the way it’s going at the moment doesn’t look too positive,” said one respondent.

A fourth argued: “I think they’re likely to do a better job than under the Tories, who are just making a complete hash of everything.”

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The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed the economy remained in reverse gear, defying economists’ predictions of a 0.1 per cent expansion.

This latest decline follows a similar 0.1 per cent drop recorded in September, painting a picture of a jittery economy during the second half of the year.

The pound fell 0.32 per cent against the dollar in response to the disappointing figures.

The data reflects economic performance in the run-up to the new Labour government’s first Budget, which increased taxes by £41bn per year.

The ONS reported zero growth in the services sector during October, highlighting stagnation in the UK’s largest economic segment.

Manufacturing saw a steeper decline, contracting by 0.6 per cent during the month.

The construction sector also struggled, recording a 0.4 per cent fall in activity.

These sector-specific declines contributed to an overall picture of economic weakness, with UK business confidence slumping since the Budget.

Major firms have warned that tax-raising measures, including a hike in employers’ national insurance contributions, will push up prices and stall hiring.

The Confederation of British Industry has downgraded its growth expectations, now forecasting the UK economy to grow by just 1.5 per cent next year, down from its June prediction of 1.9 per cent for 2025.

Britain’s economic output has grown slowly since the Covid pandemic, with only Germany performing notably worse among major advanced economies.

Both nations were particularly affected by surging energy costs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.