Output from Britain’s factories unexpectedly faltered in January, according to official new figures today, amid growing concern that the plunging euro is beginning to hamper UK exports.
Total manufacturing output in January fell by 0.5 per cent compared to December 2014, while the more widely defined total industrial production - which includes power generation and North Sea oil - declined by 0.1 per cent.
However, compared with January 2014, both figures were up, by 1.9 per cent and 1.3 per cent respectively, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The British Chambers of Commerce called the new data disappointing and warned that the recent sharp rises in the pound meant manufacturers were struggling to maintain exports into Europe. The eurozone is by far the biggest