UK economy grows by 0.2%

The fragility of the UK’s recovery was highlighted today as official estimates showed weaker than expected economic growth in the first three months of 2010.

A 0.2% expansion between January and March marks the second quarter of tentative growth in output, but is lower than the 0.4% seen in the final three months of 2009.

The Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) initial estimate, which reflects the disruption caused by January’s wintry weather, is less than economists predicted and is likely to come as an election blow for Prime Minister Gordon Brown.