New lockdown restrictions in November saw the UK economy shrink 2.6 per cent during the month.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics released this morning indicated gross domestic product at the end of November was 8.5 per cent below its pre-pandemic peak.

Following six consecutive monthly increases, including an upwardly revised 0.6 per cent increase in October, real GDP fell by 2.6 per cent in November 2020.

Restrictions were in place to varying degrees across all four nations of the UK during November.

November GDP fell back to 8.5 per cent below the levels seen in February 2020 compared with 6.1 per cent below in October 2020.

GDP fell by 8.9 per cent in the 12 months to November 2020, compared with an annual decline of 6.8 per cent to October.