So we have new figures for economic growth in the third quarter of the year. The British economy grew by 0.5% compared with the previous three months.
In the context of a global economic outlook that has darkened a little in recent months, it's a steady kind of a figure. Slower than the 0.7% growth rate in the previous period, but not by all that much.
There were some marked differences between sectors. Service industries grew quite strongly, while manufacturing and construction slipped back. For manufacturing it was the third consecutive decline.
Over a slightly longer period, there is certainly a good story to be told about the British economy. Quite decent growth, low unemployment and low inflation.
But there is another side. Inflation is actually too low, average incomes are barely up to pre-crisis levels and there is a persistent problem of feeble improvements in productivity.
So let's look more closely at the evidence