Temporarily Cut Triple Lock to Fund Tax Cuts, George Osborne Suggests

George Osborne, the former chancellor, is pictured during an appearance on ITV's Good Morning Britain programme
THE TELEGRAPH: George Osborne suggested the Government could temporarily water down the triple lock to fund tax cuts or more spending on public services amid a growing debate about the future of the state pension guarantee.

The triple lock is a key Tory pledge that ensures the state pension rises by the highest of three metrics: average earnings, inflation or 2.5 per cent.

In the past, average earnings have always been calculated using the figure for wages plus bonuses but the Treasury is understood to be considering stripping out the impact of bonuses in a move which would mean a smaller than expected increase for pensioners next April.

Mr Osborne said if he were chancellor today he would be “very tempted to under-rate, i.e. not increase pensions by as much as the triple lock and other benefits, working age benefits that go to other people in society, by maybe like one or two per cent”. » | Jack Maidment, Politics Live Blog Editor | Wednesday, September 13, 2023

What a miserable SOB! Now that's truly a brilliant idea, isn't it? Why didn't Robin Hood come up with this idea, I wonder? So the man who has given us all more than twelves years of agony and austerity now wants to rob the poor to give to the rich. He wants to take a way the few crumbs that pensioners now receive each month in order to fund tax cuts for the superrich. They must need more caviare. This makes eminently good sense to insensitive, uncaring idiots, I suppose. Does this dude belong to a Satanic cult, I wonder? He is certainly no Christian. There a hot place awaiting insensitive twerps like this – in Hell! I hope the fires are already being stoked for the dickhead! – © Mark Alexander

There is already a petition by 38 Degrees against the cutting of state pensions. Please consider signing this petition for the sake of the nation's hard-hit pensioners, many of whom have little other than their measly, paltry, disgustingly small British state pension to live on anyway. Please help these people by signing this petition here.

George Osborne's Evening Standard Backs Lib Dems for EU Elections

THE GUARDIAN: Editorial in former chancellor’s paper is latest breakaway by Cameron-era Tories over Brexit

The Evening Standard, edited by the former Conservative chancellor George Osborne, has urged readers to consider voting Liberal Democrat in the European elections, in the latest sign of David Cameron-era Tories breaking with the party over Brexit.

The London newspaper said the Lib Dems had the “courage from the start to say the referendum result was a mistake” and as a result, “voters have started to think again about them”.

However, the Standard stopped short of a full endorsement for Vince Cable’s party, simply saying “we wish them well”.

Other prominent Conservatives have been punished by the party in recent days for endorsing the Lib Dems in the elections, including the former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine. It is not known whether Osborne remains a paid-up member of the Conservative party, but the carefully phrased endorsement means he is likely to escape being censured. » | Jim Waterson, Media editor | Wednesday, May 22, 2019

George Osborne 'I’ve Sat Down and Had a Drink with Theresa May Since All of This' | British GQ

Alastair Campbell interviews the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, now current Editor of the Evening Standard about Theresa May, Brexit, Boris Johnson and more

British Tourists in Greece Told to Carry Cash

THE TELEGRAPH: Holidaymakers must have enough cash to cover all their costs and any potential emergencies, George Osborne warns

British tourists going on holiday to Greece have been told by the Government to travel with thousands of pounds worth of euros in cash, despite the risk of them not being insured if they get robbed.

With 150,000 UK holiday makers travelling to Greece every week, George Osborne said that holidaymakers must have enough cash to cover all their costs and any potential emergencies.

However, insurers warned that most families will only be covered for a maximum of £200 if they are robbed while on holiday.

It came as the Government attempted to contact thousands of expat pensioners living in Greece to encourage them to move their savings into British banks as the country teeters on the brink of economic collapse. » | Peter Dominiczak, and Matthew Holehouse | Monday, June 29, 2015

Revealed: How Coalition Has Helped Rich by Hitting Poor

George Osborne's claim that 'we are all in this together' in
economic terms is damaged by the findings of a new report.

THE OBSERVER: Study shows gains for wealthier half of population, delivering a blow to George Osborne’s claims on fairness

A landmark study of the coalition’s tax and welfare policies six months before the general election reveals how money has been transferred from the poorest to the better off, apparently refuting the chancellor of the exchequer’s claims that the country has been “all in it together”.

According to independent research to be published on Monday and seen by the Observer, George Osborne has been engaged in a significant transfer of income from the least well-off half of the population to the more affluent in the past four years. Those with the lowest incomes have been hit hardest.

In an intervention that will come as a major blow to the government’s claim to have shared out the burden of austerity equally, the report by economists at the London School of Economics and the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex finds that: » | Daniel Boffey, policy editor | Saturday, November 15, 2014

George Osborne Gets Stay-at-home Mothers Back to Work

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Chancellor wants to see nearly 500,000 more women in the workplace by the beginning of 2016, which would allow the UK to match the female employment rate in Germany

Hundreds of thousands of stay-at-home mothers will be encouraged to go to work under Government plans to reform childcare in the UK.

George Osborne, the Chancellor, wants to see nearly 500,000 more women in the workplace by the beginning of 2016, which would allow the UK to match the female employment rate in Germany.

The Treasury said it will achieve the target by increasing access to childcare across the country, giving Britain one of the highest rates of female employment in the world.

However, campaigners warned that the Government risks unnecessarily “stigmatising” stay-at-home mothers.

Mr Osborne said that the Government will “support women who want to work” and said that the figures show they “are playing an ever larger role in the economy”. » | Peter Dominiczak, and Steven Swinford | Wednesday, October 22, 2014

My comment:

This Chancellor must be stupid! This is exactly the opposite of what the Chancellor should be encouraging. Children need their mothers to be at home; they don’t need them to be absent, in the workplace. Can’t this Chancellor observe all around him the result of increasing numbers of mothers going out to work?

Clearly, it is high time to kick this shower out of office. They have proved beyond a shadow of doubt that they are unworthy of the trust that the voters have placed in them. – © Mark

Now Google BANS Express Story about George Osborne’s ‘Muslim’ Brother

The article detailed how Dr Osborne had converted
to Islam to marry his then wife

DAILY EXPRESS: A STORY published by the Daily Express five years ago detailing the marriage of Chancellor George Osborne’s brother to a Muslim bride was today censored by Google.

Express.co.uk was today informed that an article published about Dr Adam Osborne on December 7, 2009, has been removed from Google’s search listings.

The 300-word piece detailed how the Chancellor’s younger brother, now 38, had converted to Islam in preparation for his marriage to Bangladeshi-born Rahala Noor, his plastic surgeon girlfriend of 14 years.

The article explained he had been studying the Koran and was praying five times a day and had been given the name Mohammed for the ceremony.

The piece, which did not allow reader comments, still exists on Express.co.uk.

However, it does not appear on Google when a user searches for ‘George Osborne, brother, Islam, Express’ or any variation of those terms.

Bizarrely, the original story, which had been broken by the Mail on Sunday in much greater depth the day before, still appears on Google’s results for MailOnline.

Versions of the article by the Daily Mirror, the Independent and other newspapers also still appear. » | Ted Jeory & Dion Dassanayake | Thursday, July 03, 2014

George Osborne: Sharing the Pound with Scotland Is 'Not Going to Happen'

The Chancellor uses a speech in Edinburgh to say: "If Scotland walks away from the UK, it walks away from the pound"

Read the Telegraph article here | Ben Riley-Smith, Scottish Political Reporter | Thursday, February 13, 2014

Conservative Knives Out for George Osborne
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: George Osborne faces a whispering campaign at the highest levels of the Conservative Party over his competence and judgment.

The Chancellor has been personally blamed for the party’s misfortunes and poor opinion poll ratings, with senior figures warning that change is needed ahead of the general election.

There are renewed calls for Mr Osborne to give up his role coordinating the party’s campaigning, as fears mount of disastrous results in May’s English local elections.

Some critics are demanding that he should be replaced as Chancellor by William Hague, the Foreign Secretary. Such a move would be a dramatic shift for the Prime Minister, as Mr Osborne is his closest political ally.

One senior Conservative at the heart of the party, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Telegraph: “George is the problem.”

Concerns centre on what is perceived to be his failure to understand the middle classes, their values, and their economic struggle.

Most notably, critics highlighted how the last budget in effect penalised rather than helped stay-at-home mothers and did not introduce recognition for marriage in the tax system.

This came on top of changes to child benefit which also penalise single-earner households.

Senior critics within the party were also unhappy with his flagship measure to boost the housing market, a mortgage guarantee scheme. There have been warnings that it could create a housing bubble, rather than help economic growth. » | Patrick Hennessy | Saturday, March 30, 2013

George Osborne Is Defeated 26 to 1 on EU Bonus Caps
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain was today defeated after being outnumbered 26 to one over controversial European Union proposals to impose caps on bonuses paid to bankers.

EU finance ministers overruled British opposition to the banking remuneration caps and "technical negotiations" over the detail of regulations to begin next week ahead of a final decision next month.

Michel Barnier, the European Commissioner for financial services, hailed a "crystal clear" deal allowing the EU to impose a bonus limit of 100 pc of salary, or a maximum 200pc after agreement with shareholders, from January 2014.

"The caps are fixed," he said. "These caps will be the basis of our work from now on. All the main points have been approved and will not change."

The caps will also apply to all European bankers working in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore or other overseas branches, again overriding British concerns.

Mr Barnier insisted that the EU was confident that the caps would survive the threat of legal challenges by banks because the legislation specified bonus ratios to existing salaries rather than setting precise ceiling figures for payments. » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Tuesday, March 05, 2013

THE GUARDIAN: George Osborne rebuffed by rest of EU on bank bonuses: Britain left isolated as 26 European finance ministers agree to a clampdown on executive pay targeted at the City » | Ian Traynor in Brussels | Tuesday, March 05, 2013

George Osborne Insists He Won't Change Course Despite Credit Rating Downgrade

THE GUARDIAN: Chancellor says he 'cannot let up' after move by Moody's which opposite number Ed Balls calls 'humiliating'

The chancellor has insisted that he will not change course despite the downgrade of Britain's credit rating in which he invested great political capital in maintaining.

George Osborne said Britain's situation would get very much worse if the government changed course after Moody's changed Britain's rating from AAA to AA1. The chancellor said previously the rating agency's triple-A rating was an endorsement of his austerity policies.

As far back as February 2010, he told an audience of Tory activists: "What investor is going to come to the UK when they fear a downgrade of our credit rating and a collapse of confidence?" In the Tory manifesto, published weeks later, he said: "We will safeguard Britain's credit rating with a credible plan to eliminate the bulk of the structural deficit over a parliament."

Ed Balls ,the shadow chancellor, described the downgrade as a "humiliating blow" for Osborne who was "ploughing on regardless with a plan which is not working".

In an interview at 11 Downing Street on Saturday, Osborne said: "I think we've got a very clear message, a loud and clear message that Britain cannot let up in dealing with its debts, dealing with its problems, cannot let up in making sure that Britain can pay its way in the world.

"What is the message from the ratings agency? Britain's got a debt problem. I agree with that. I've been telling the country for years that we've got a debt problem, we've got to deal with it."

Labour insisted the government had withdrawn demand from the economy which had slowed growth and increased the debt. » | Conal Urquhart, staff and agencies | Saturday, February 23, 2013

Great Train Snobbery! George Osborne Embarrassment after Sitting in First Class with Standard-class Ticket

THE INDEPENDENT: It is being dubbed the Great Train Snobbery or simply – and perhaps predictably – ticketgate.

George Osborne was facing acute embarrassment last night after his aides were caught demanding he be allowed to sit in a first-class train carriage with a standard-class ticket.

The Chancellor boarded the Virgin train to London at his constituency stop of Wilmslow with his aides. But rather than turn to sit in the second-class carriage for which he'd paid, Mr Osborne went right and took his place in the more salubrious and less crowded first-class carriage. » | Oliver Wright and Kevin Rawlinson | Saturday, October 20, 2012

George Osborne 'To Fight For Bankers' Bonuses' In Europe

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: George Osborne is preparing to defend the right of British banks to pay large bonuses against EU plans to cap the pay-outs, it emerged last night.

The Chancellor is expected to argue against the crackdown at a meeting of European finance ministers on Tuesday, in spite of a fresh public outcry over the behaviour of bankers in the wake of the rate-rigging scandal.

Mr Osborne will argue that the proposals, to set a maximum 1:1 ratio of bonus to pay, are not the right way to curb City remuneration.

Officials insist that he had taken the same position before details of the Libor rate-fixing scandal emerged, and it has not changed, the Financial Times reported.

But the timing of the meeting is likely to make it politically risky for him to make such a case, with the Chancellor potentially facing the accusation of being in cahoots with bankers despite allegations about their reckless behaviour.

It comes amid outrage that Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond may still be in line for a multi-million pound pay-out following his resignation over rate rigging. » | John-Paul Ford Rojas | Saturday, July 07, 2012

My comment:

This is clearly a case of out-of-touch Osborne defending the indefensible. This man is not in power to serve the people, but to serve his cronies. – © Mark