George Osborne delivers Autumn Statement
- Now even Tory voters tell Osborne to ease up on spending cuts
ind.pn - Steve Richards: You can't be Santa or Scrooge, I'm afraid, George ind.pn
- Are we all ready for #BannedList Bingo at 1230? t.coby JohnRentoul via twitter 11/29/2011 11:56:58 AM
- RT @jonesthetim not "[Insert] dream turns to nightmare"? or any Greece headline with "tragedy," "bearing gifts," "is the word"? #BannedListby JohnRentoul via twitter 11/29/2011 11:57:41 AM
- Andrew Sparrow has always (2003) "thought convention that important announcemts have to be made in Commons 1st is daft" www.newstatesman.comby JohnRentoul via twitter 11/29/2011 12:02:06 PM
- On BBC News Nick Clegg said the Statement will "provide the country with the stability we need". He added there are measures to help families as well as moves to boost the construction industry.
- Lord Malloch Brown tells Sky that the Statement is nothing but a "sideshow" and that factors like the eurozone crisis will have a far greater effect than anything George Osborne does today.
- Conservative Deputy Chair Michael Fallon says the Government is still on track to deal with its debts and is "sticking to Plan A".
- My Twitter was over capacity for a moment, and we're still 20 minutes away from the excitement of the Autumn Statement.by JohnRentoul via twitter 11/29/2011 12:09:42 PM
- London Mayor Boris Johnson appeared on the BBC to offer his support for George Osborne. He said: "I think this a very good move by the Chancellor to come up with more infrastructure proposals in line with what he did last year in the CSR"
- Johnson also said he thought the Government was still on Plan A adding "what the Chancellor is doing is using the low borrowing costs that are available to him to switch from revenue spending into capital spending and doing, I think, the right thing for the long-term health of the economy."
- RT @LabourList: Anyone for a game of Osborne Bingo? labli.stby JohnRentoul via twitter 11/29/2011 12:11:31 PM
- Shall we all play #AS2011 bingo wi Osborne n Balls? 'danger zone', 'debt storm', 'reckless gamble', 'hurting but not working'?by paulwaugh via twitter 11/29/2011 12:12:11 PM
- Michael Gove has said: "The Autumn Statement will show that the Government is going to stick to its plans and make sure that growth is kick-started. We are going to hear from the OBR [Office for Budget Responsibility] today and I think they will put us in the picture very shortly. We all know that what’s happening in Europe means there are some difficult circumstances we have to deal with, but it is still Plan A definitely."
- Chris Leslie MP: "borrowing is ballooning" on Radio 5 Live. Is that another miss on my #BannedList?by JohnRentoul via twitter 11/29/2011 12:13:40 PM
- And the Tory MP speaks of a "debt maelstrom". It's going to be difficult to keep up today. #BannedListby JohnRentoul via twitter 11/29/2011 12:14:10 PM
- John Thurso, Liberal Democrat and Chairman of the Finance and Services Committee speaking with Sky News: "The important thing to do, what I want as a Liberal Democrat, is to make sure we do the right thing for the long-term and that’s about looking after people at the bottom end and putting investment in to ensure as much growth as possible."
- Thurso added: "But the one thing we cannot do, which would be absolute suicide, is to move away from the core of Plan A, which is to ensure that the deficit reduction stays in place and if we didn’t do that, we’d double our borrowing costs and then we’d be in real, real trouble.”
- Former Prime Minister Tony Blair appeared on Radio5Live earlier today. He said: "In the West at the moment, we’re facing really tough economic times, and there’s got to be some fundamental decsisions taken in Europe, and in America – in respect of it’s deficit situation – and the thing that you realise, today more than ever, is the sheer interconnectedness of the world economy. So, frankly, whatever government is in power is going to be persuing a pretty tough program at the moment."
- Some talk that Osborne's #AS2011 will last just 30 mins. Surely he'll pad it out to 40mins given sombre nature of message?by paulwaugh via twitter 11/29/2011 12:18:48 PM
Nick Clegg arrives at Downing Street for the cabinet meeting just before midday. He insists the statement will "keep us safe from the debt storm of the market turmoil in Europe and elsewhere" and deliver a plan to get Britain building houses, roads and broadband infrastructure. (Picture: Reuters)
- Nick Robinson on the BBC "The Chancellor has to tell us today who pays the bills for sticking to Plan A."
- George Osborne has started speaking
Britain's No. 2 cabinet official Danny Alexander leaves Downing Street (AP)
- Will set out today how we’ll live within our means, stimulate money/credit supply and invest in infrastructure & education #AS2011by hmtreasury via twitter 11/29/2011 12:32:47 PM
- Nick Robinson on the BBC: This is the statement the Chancellor didn't want to make...showing the light at the end of the tunnel is fading."
- Osborne starts with the euro argument as he vows govt will do 'all it can' to protect Britain #as2011by craigawoodhouse via twitter 11/29/2011 12:34:07 PM
- The light at the end of the tunnel: Osborne *up*grades growth for 2015 from 2.8 to 3% #AS2011by paulwaugh via twitter 11/29/2011 12:35:27 PM
- Emphasis on low interest rates right in line with what the public needs to hear #autumnstatementby Andrew_ComRes via twitter 11/29/2011 12:36:05 PM
- Osborne: "Slowdown blamed on high commodity prices"
- OBR forecasts no UK recession
- Because of lower market interest rates, debt interest payments over the Parliament will be £22 billion less than predicted #AS2011by hmtreasury via twitter 11/29/2011 12:38:46 PM
- The OBR’s central projection is that we will meet both the fiscal mandate and the debt target #AS2011by hmtreasury via twitter 11/29/2011 12:40:22 PM
- Borrowing forecast is £127 billion in 2011/2012, £120 billion in 2012/2013, £100billion in 2013/2014, £79 billion in 2014/2015, £53 billion in 2015/2016 and £24 billion in 2016/2017.
- Debts will peak at 78% GDP
Osborne accused those proposing alternatives of using 'something for nothing economics' (BBC)
- Osborne said the Government will do "whatever it takes" to protect Britain from the "debt storm" in Europe.
- Osborne turns Ed Miliband's clever phrase back on him - calls Labour plan "something for nothing economics" #AS2011by dylsharpe via twitter 11/29/2011 12:45:17 PM
- Osborne: GDP would grow by 0.7% next year - down from March predictions of 2.5% - followed by 2.1% in 2013, 2.7% in 2014, and 3% in 2015.
- Osborne says Britain would have borrow £100 billion more under Labour's plans. "If we had pursued that path we would now be in the centre of the sovereign debt storm"
- PA: Economic growth forecast slashed ind.pn
- Osborne: "Britain has had the highest deficit in the entire history of our country outside of war, and the last government left it to this Government to sort this mess out. In 2009/10 the last government was borrowing £156 billion a year. The OBR shows that it was £137 billion during first year of this Government."
- Pension credit increased by £5.35
- Osborne: announces cash rise in the basic state pension #AS2011 #pensionsby Unbiased_co_uk via twitter 11/29/2011 12:49:45 PM
Work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith welcomes Osborne's announcement that the state pension will rise by £5.30 per year to £175.45 (BBC)
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