You can get three months of The Spectator for just £15, plus a free bottle of Paul

Roger champagne if you go to spectator.com.uk forward slash FIS24. This offer is UK-only and subject

to availability. Hello, welcome to Coffee House Shots. I'm James Hill and I'm joined today by

Katie Balls and

Elizabeth Harbin. Now this morning the latest growth figures were out and they showed that the UK

economy has contracted by 0.1%. Katie, you've written about this for Coffee House, our blog. Tell us more.

Yes, so this is not the news that Rachel Reeswood wanted. It's the second month in a row by which

the economy has shrank and contracted rather

than growing. And of course, one of Labor's big things is they are going for growth and talking

about the fastest growth in the G7. They talk about that a little bit less these days, instead

talking about an increase to living standards. But, you know, Rachel Rees has come out and said it's

disappointing that this has happened. However, you know, Rachel Rees has come out and said it's disappointing. This has happened.

However, you know, they're only early on into government. You can't really put it on the Labour

government and said that long term they're putting a strategy to build growth and almost stick

with us, kid. Does that work? Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, has been out saying this is what

happens when you talk down the economy. And I think when you look at some of the potential factors in this,

so business commentary on the figures, they're saying that what they think has led to potentially

contraction in the month of October was expectation

and doubt ahead of that budget. And that's been pointed at something which has caused a problem

here. So I think that one of the issues for Rachel Reeves, and it's something that treasury

figures now, I think, do you accept, be it privately, is they probably went a bit too heavy

on the pessimism early on. And then also, by deciding to wait so long to have a budget, which

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