Britain's economy shrank in January amid a sharp fall in the manufacturing sector, in a blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves before her spring statement, official figures have shown.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the economy contracted 0.1% during the month, behind expert predictions and down from a 0.4% rise in December.Most economists had forecast gross domestic product (GDP) to rise by 0.1% in the first month of the year.

Britain's economy shrank in January amid a sharp fall in the manufacturing sector, in a blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves before her spring statement, official figures have shown.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the economy contracted 0.1% during the month, behind expert predictions and down from a 0.4% rise in December.Most economists had forecast gross domestic product (GDP) to rise by 0.1% in the first month of the year.