Prime Minister David Cameron has said we should stay positive about the economy as he visited Caerphilly on Tuesday.
Mr Cameron paid a visit to company Working Links, based in Caerphilly town, which is one of the firms responsible for delivering a Government programme to get people back into work.
The Prime Minister, who was booed by some of the crowd as he left the offices of Working Links, commented on recent figures which stated the UK economy slowed in the three months to June, partly because of the extra bank holiday in April.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.2% in the second quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics, down from 0.5% in the previous quarter.
Mr Cameron said: “I think we should be positive because the economy is growing and Britain is growing and more people are in work than a year ago, our exports are up and that is positive news in our economy.
“Clearly we are, if you like, some stability in a very uncertain world. All over the world countries are struggling with their debts and with their deficit and here in Britain, because we are getting on top of those debts, getting on top of that deficit, we see interest rates low and we see the ability for our economy to grow, but clearly it’s going to take time to make sure we produce the growth and the jobs that we need to really strengthen our economy.”
He added: “The point is you’ve got to have a Plan A you make work and that is what we’re doing. For years there was no plan, the debts were mounting, the deficit was getting bigger and the government didn’t have a clue what to do about it.
“You have a new Government that’s gripping it and that’s why interest rates in Britain are low, that’s why there are more people in work than a year ago and that’s why our economy is growing.”