Britain beats the eurozone

GROWTH in Britain’s manufacturing sector is outpacing every other major European nation as the Continent is gripped by a slowdown.

Research group IHS Markit’s index of factory activity in November, where 50 is the cut-off between growth and decline, came in at 53.1 for the UK – the best figure for two months.

The reading was 51.8 for the eurozone, its lowest since August 2016.

Manufacturing growth was at a 31month low in Germany and a 26month low in France, which has been gripped by rioting over fuel prices.

Italy hit a 47-month low where the sector shrank after a row with the EU over Rome’s plans for a spending spree.