Prime Minister Keir Starmer was dealt yet another blow as GB News was interrupted for breaking news, where they delivered an update on the UK economy. Presenters Stephen Dixon and Ellie Costello shared that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures revealed that the UK GDP grew by 0.1% from July to September. However, not everyone was impressed as they were joined by Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride, who criticised the UK leader.

The Tory MP fumed: “I think it shows a particular level of incompetence that a Prime Minister with a massive majority, just over a year out from having won a landslide General Election, is now fearful for his own position.” Mr Stride added: “He does seem, just I think to the outside world, entirely chaotic that No 10 appears to be briefing against cabinet ministers, Wes Streeting in particular.” “Apparently, he has a rouse to try and convince people that nobody should try and stand against him or effect a coup against the Prime minister, and all this, of course, has spectacularly backfired.

“And all this, of course, has spectacularly backfired, but the really serious point here is that what the government should be projecting is grip and competence to get on top of the kind of challenges that we’ve just been discussing around the economy,” Stride added.

The politician insisted: “We need a Government that is about grip and competence, not chaos and incompetence, if we’re to get through the real challenges that we have as a country.”

When questioned about why the Opposition isn’t calling for Starmer’s resignation, Stride answered: “It’s a matter for the Labour Party, whether they make a move against the Prime minister.

“What we’re hearing at the moment is that there is a strong undercurrent and an appetite for that, we’ll have to see where that goes.”

Stride continued: “What we’re calling for is competent Government, we need to have a Government that starts to get a grip, that gets itself out of all these noises of West End farce that’s been going on and around No 10.

“And takes the serious and tougher decisions for which you do need a backbone, particularly around spending, so that we can get Government spending under control and as a consequence not have to put up taxes in the way that the Chancellor has been suggesting that she will in the Budget,” he concluded.

The economy’s slow growth followed an analyst consensus forecast of 0.2% growth in the third quarter.

The ONS data showed that in September alone, the UK economy contracted 0.1% after a cyberattack on carmaker Jaguar Land Rover hit the manufacturing sector. August’s figure was revised down 0.1 percentage points to zero growth.

The ONS Director of Economic Statistics, Liz McKeown, said: “Growth slowed further in the third quarter of the year with both services and construction weaker than in the previous period.

“There was a particularly marked fall in car production in September, reflecting the impact of a cyber incident, as well as a decline in the often-erratic pharmaceutical industry,” she added.