MINISTERS must not choke off Britain’s stalled economic recovery, the TUC, opposition leaders — and some Tories — warned today.

As official figures revealed a 0.1 per cent rise in gross domestic product (GDP) in July — just 10 per cent of the previous month’s increase — the union confederation urged the government not to stress the economy further by going ahead with its £20 cut to universal credit (UC).

Labour accused ministers of holding the recovery back by adding 1.25 percentage points to national insurance contributions — a 10 per cent increase in the rate — and imposing the “devastating” UC cut.