UK-EU AgrEEMENT liKEly iN COMiNg dAyS

london — Britain’s economy accelerated in the third quarter as higher exports and household spending offset slumping business investment, data showed Friday as the country hopes to imminently seal a Brexit deal.

Gross domestic product climbed by 0.6 per cent in the July-September period, in line with analysts’ expectations and up on growth of 0.4 per cent in the second quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in an initial estimate.

Analyst meanwhile expect the economy to cool ahead of Britain’s departure from the European Union in March, starting with the fourth quarter.

The ONS said the third quarter growth was driven by an expansion of 0.3 per cent in July, “which stemmed from strong retail sales boosted by warm weather and the World Cup, as well as a low base reflecting the weaker start to the year”.

However month-on-month GDP growth was flat in August and September. “The recent subdued business investment environment is consistent with external surveys of investment intentions, which attribute much of the weakness to Brexitrelated economic and political uncertainty,” the statistics office added.

Business investment slid 1.2 percent in the third quarter, while exports jumped 2.7 per cent and household spending increased 0.5 per cent. “The export growth... reflects an increase in both goods and services exports, with goods exports to non-EU countries grow- LONDON — Investment bank JP Morgan said on Friday that an agreement between Britain and the European Union on a transitional Brexit deal appeared likely to be reached in the coming days. “Agreement in time for a November 17-18 summit appears to remain possible even if odds are slightly against it with dates later in November being suggested,” ing more robustly than to the EU,” the ONS noted.

Britain could be about to finally seal an all-important deal to smooth its departure from the European Union in March, although reports this week of an imminent announcement have cooled somewhat heading into the weekend.

And despite stronger growth for the UK economy in the third quarter overall, the Bank of England last week trimmed its own GDP forecasts as Brexit approaches. The BoE predicted that Britain’s economy would grow by 1.7 per cent in 2019, down JP Morgan economist Malcolm Barr said in a note to clients. “We continue to think it likely that the Commons (UK lower house of parliament) will not give its assent to the agreement on the first attempt (in late November or early December), but... assent will be attained at a second or later attempt (in early to mid-January).” —

Business investment is expected to be curbed by heightened Brexit uncertainties

Howard Archer, Chief economic advisor, EY ITEM Club

from a forecast of 1.8 per cent.

The new estimate is based on the assumption of a smooth transition period, but there is unease on markets about a chaotic no-deal Brexit.

And before then, “growth in the fourth quarter is expected to be limited by more restrained consumer spending..., while business investment is expected to be curbed by heightened Brexit uncertainties”, Howard Archer, chief economic advisor to the EY ITEM Club, said on Friday following the latest data.

The GDP update came as British Prime Minister Theresa May drew the fury of her crucial Northern Irish allies after seemingly accepting an EU-backed Brexit solution they fervently oppose. At issue is the vexing problem of how to avoid border checks between Northern Ireland, a UK province, and the eurozone-member Republic of Ireland.