Bright future for Britain: Osborne
Britain is now "getting its act together" and can look ahead to the new year with confidence, Chancellor George Osborne has insisted six months after the formation of the coalition Government.
Mr Osborne said the past six months had seen the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition undertake vital work on publishing a four-year deficit reduction plan and instigating reform to wide swathes of the public sector.
He insisted British voters - who are facing a lengthy period of funding cuts and job losses in the public sector thanks to the Chancellor's spending review - understand that the Government is taking necessary steps in a difficult economic climate.
Speaking in Seoul at the end of the G20 summit, he said: "We should look at the next year with some confidence. The economic data has been on the optimistic side in recent weeks, and that should give us some confidence.
"I think that the British people understand that this new Government - now on its six-month anniversary - inherited a truly awful economic and budgetary situation and are taking the tough steps necessary to sort that out, and we have commanded public support in taking those steps."
He added: "I think we can have some confidence that we are putting in place the foundations of a more balanced economy and a sustainable recovery."
Six months after the coalition agreement was finalised on May 13, Mr Osborne said the Government has got "some really substantial achievements we can look back on".
These included "the most credible and highly-regarded deficit reduction plan in the Western world", he said.
"We have embarked on major reforms to welfare, education, higher education and healthcare. We have had two successful major trade missions, to India and China.
"I think we can see a country that is getting its act together."
