The economy grew at a slower rate than expected in the three months to September, according to the Office for National Statatics (ONS) figures.

The news will come as a heavy blow to the Chancellor ahead of the November 26 budget.

Along with the figures, Liz McKeown, the Office for National Statistics’ director of economic statistics, releases a statement.

She says: “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.”

She adds that there was a “particularly marked fall in car production in September, reflecting the impact of a cyber incident, as well as a decline in the often-erratic pharmaceutical industry”.

Growth remains the government’s top priority.

Headline growth, once adjusted for population increases, shows that the economy effectively flatlined over the summer.

While the Jaguar Land Rover shutdown dented September’s GDP, underlying performance was already subdued.

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