Rishi Sunak has been dealt a fresh blow after it emerged the UK economy may already be in recession.
New figures revealed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that GDP shrunk by 0.1% between July and September.
They also said that the economy did not grow at all between April and June.
If GDP has also contracted in the final three months of the year, that would mean the country is officially in recession.
That is despite the prime minister promising to grow the economy at the start of this year.
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Rishi Sunak is a prime minister whose legacy is one of failure. He failed to beat Liz Truss, he failed to cut waiting lists, he failed to stop the boats and now he has failed to grow the economy.
“Thirteen years of economic failure under the Conservatives have left working people worse off, with higher bills, higher mortgages and higher prices in the shops.”
But chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “The medium-term outlook for the UK economy is far more optimistic than these numbers suggest.
“We’ve seen inflation fall again this week, and the Office of Budget Responsibility expects the measures in the Autumn Statement, including the largest business tax cut in modern British history and tax cuts for 29 million working people, will deliver the largest boost to potential growth on record.”