Sunak braced for double poll blow as recession puts his economic plans ‘in tatters’

Labour taunt the prime minister that his promise to grow the economy is ‘in tatters’ as the UK slips into recession

Rishi Sunak faces setting a near 60-year record for by-election losses after official figures showed the UK economy has entered recession.

The Conservatives were dealt a heavy blow by worse-than-expected data which showed that the economy shrank in the final six months of last year.

Mr Sunak’s party will, meanwhile, have secured the largest number of defeats in a single parliament since the 1960s if voters reject the Conservatives in either the Northamptonshire constituency of Wellingborough or Kingswood, in Gloucestershire.