The UK slipped into a shallow recession in the second half of 2023, undercutting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s claim to be growing the economy in the run-up to a general election.

Gross domestic product fell 0.3% in the fourth quarter, more than the 0.1% drop economists forecast, Office for National Statistics figures Thursday show. It followed an unrevised 0.1% decline in the previous three months.