THIRSTY Brits helped the GDP soar by a massive 4.8 per cent last quarter as pubs finally reopened.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has hailed the success and said that his Plan for Jobs was working.
But a sluggish June was blamed on the pingdemic and supply chain bottle-necks.
The easing of lockdown rules saw the nation flock back to pubs, restaurants and hotels, boosting the UK economy by the highest rate in the G7.
Britain was among the nations hit hardest by Covid last year, but economists are now confident we will bounce back in full by the end of the year.
Household spending is still down, restricting a full bounce-back, with GDP two per cent below pre-pandemic levels.
But services and healthcare were up as people returned to GPs and lockdown rules eased.
Boris Johnson and Mr Sunak hailed the stats, but insisted again it was time for the furlough scheme and the Universal Credit uplift to end in September as life returns to normal.
The PM said last night: “Encouraging economic growth figures.
“Our successful vaccination programme and Plan for Jobs combined with the strength and resilience of the British people puts the UK in a strong position.”
Mr Sunak, who was at Lords for the cricket Test yesterday with wife Akshata Murthy, added: “Our economy is on the mend and showing strong signs of recovery.”
