Oh dear TTT, you must learn to read past the headline.
// However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the broader picture was "slower and more uneven" growth.
In 2017 as a whole, growth was 1.8% compared with 1.9% in 2016 - the slowest since 2012, the ONS said. //
// it's better than what you and were predicting gromit. //
I don’t believe I made a projection on economic growth. I would be the first to admit that I am not qualified to do so.
As we have not yet left the EU, any comparisions to predictions by project fear are rather pointless.
True, but an exceeded forecast is still an exceeded forecast. An a pessimistic forecast in the near future may prove just as far off. Not gone to Hell in a handbasket yet then.
Growth is an economic indicator and comparisons with other countries are a level playing field. Of course our economy is bigger than Ireland’s so the financial take will be bigger. Germany is a similar size economy and their growth rate is higher than ours.
Seemingly in control of the EU's economic decisions, and those decisions apparently set to benefit themselves more often than not, they should be doing better.
// an exceeded forecast is still an exceeded forecast. //
Except when it wasn’t exceeded. Around election time they were saying 2%
From March 2017.
// The government’s independent forecaster said that the economy had performed better than expected and it raised its forecast for economic growth this year [2017]to 2%. //