A positive new report raises the question: was Reeves undermined by dodgy data? | Heather Stewart

Assessment that has found a jump in UK productivity emphasises urgent need to appoint a national statistician

Keen new chancellor, John Healey, responded to last week’s better-than-expected economic news by claiming the government is “bringing hope back”. Growth did not plunge as feared after Donald Trump unleashed war on Iran – with GDP expanding at a pretty decent 0.4% in the second quarter.

But what if we should have held on to a bit more hope all along? A new assessment of the UK’s recent productivity suggests this critical measure of the country’s economic strength may have been systematically underestimated.