A further £50bn (€62.2bn) was injected into the British economy today as the UK struggles to pull out of its double-dip recession and the eurozone debt crisis intensifies.

Business and unions in the UK were divided tonight over the national minimum wage after the British government announced that the adult rate will increase by 15p an hour, benefiting almost a million workers.

Euro-MPs today backed tough climate change targets despite warnings from industry that Europe must dilute its ambitions because of the economic recession.

Union leaders in the UK today voiced “serious” concerns over the labour market as new figures showed more people have stopped looking for work, while the number of manufacturing jobs dipped below three million for the first time since modern records began.