The economy expanded by 0.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010, decelerating from growth of 0.4 percent in the previous three months, official data showed on Friday.
"Gross domestic product (GDP) increased 0.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010," the Office for National Statistics said in a statement which undershot market expectations for expansion of 0.4 percent.
The performance of the economy, which escaped from a record recession in the final three months of 2009, has become a major issue in the run-up to a general election on May 6.
Copyright 2010 AFP European Edition
