The UK’s manufacturing output has reached a seven-month high in the latest sign that the economy is gathering pace after a slowdown towards the end of last year.
The Markit/CIPS purchasing managers’ index hit 54.1 in February, up from January’s 53.1 and well above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction.
The survey indicated manufacturing output is growing at a quarterly rate of 0.5 per cent, compared with 0.2 per cent in the final three months of last year.
The figures will be a seen as a boost to the Conservative party as May’s general election looms.
The UK’s manufacturing sector also compared favourably with the eurozone, where output was flat in February at 51.
With the eurozone economies struggling to pick-up, manufacturing growth