U.K. Recovery Weaker Than Estimated as Deficit Widens

Britain’s economy expanded less than previously estimated in the third quarter and the budget deficit unexpectedly widened in November, complicating Prime Minister David Cameron’s attempts to bolster the recovery.

Gross domestic product rose 0.9 percent from the second quarter, down from a previous estimate of 1 percent, the Office for National Statistics said today in London. The deficit excluding government support for banks was 17.5 billion pounds ($28 billion), which compared with 16.3 billion pounds a year earlier and the median forecast of 16 billion pounds in a Bloomberg News survey of 19 economists.