LONDON, April 24, (AFP) -The last growth figures to be published before the general election emphasised the fragility of Britain's recovery and led to party leaders trading accusations over their economic plans on Friday.
Figures showed that gross domestic product increased by 0.2 percent in the first three months of this year, a lower rate than had been expected.
The day after the three party leaders clashed in their second TV debate ahead of the May 6 election, Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed the figures as proof that “recovery is definitely under way”.
But with polls showing that a three-way election race was now a reality, the leader of the main opposition Conservatives, David Cameron, warned that the figures meant Britain could not afford the uncertainty of a hung parliament.
Nick Clegg, of the Liberal Democrats, whose performances in the TV debates have seen his party enjoy a surge in support, said the figures “showed we are nowhere near coming out of the dark shadow of this very deep recession”.
Labour leader Brown produced a more prime ministerial performance in Thursday's debate than in the first showdown and on Friday he strongly defended his party's performance in guiding Britain out of a record recession.
He said Labour, which is fighting for re-election after 13 years in power, had helped the economy back on its feet and warned that Conservative plans to cut spending threatened the recovery.
An average of five surveys gave Clegg a narrow lead -- on 33.4 percent -- but only slightly ahead of Cameron, who was on 32.8 percent. Brown scored 27.6 percent. |
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