UK and German manufacturing expand at fastest pace in years

Berlin

BRITISH manufacturing growth surged to a three-year high in April, adding to signs that factories are enjoying at least a temporary boost ahead of Brexit from the weak pound, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 57.3 from 54.2 in March, exceeding all forecasts in a Reuters poll of economists which had pointed to a slight decline to 54.0.

The figures may be a small boon for Prime Minister Theresa May ahead of the June 8 national election, after official data last week showed the economy slowed sharply in the first three months of the year as inflation hurt consumers.

New factory orders poured in at the fastest rate since January 2014, while growth in or…