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    Chancellor Rules Out New Eurozone Bailout

    RELATED QUOTES

    SymbolPriceChange
    RBS.L21.951.15

    George Osborne has told Sky News that Britain and other leading economies are not ready to fund another eurozone bailout as finance ministers meet in Mexico for the G20 summit.

    Speaking to Sky's Dermot Murnaghan, the Chancellor said: "We are prepared to consider IMF (Berlin: MXG1.BE - news) resources but only once we see the colour of the eurozone money and we have not seen the colour of the eurozone money.

    "Whilst this G20 conference, I think, has a lot of important things to discuss... I don't think you're going to see any additional IMF resources committed here because, quite frankly, the eurozone have not committed additional resources themselves, and I think that quid pro quo will be clearly established here in Mexico City."

    :: Read more at Sky's dedicated eurozone page

    Mr Osborne also refused to be drawn on whether he has bowed to pressure from Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to increase the personal tax allowance to £10,000 at next month's Budget.

    He said: "Any tax cut would have to be paid for... what we are not going to do in the Budget is borrow any more money to either increase spending or cut taxes.

    "We can't have any deficit finance measure in that sense because getting the Budget deficit down, which is now happening, is an incredibly important part of keeping economic stability in Britain."

    Mr Osborne also refused to say whether he would cut fuel duty in his forthcoming Budget, a move that risks a confrontation with drivers and hauliers.

    On average, diesel prices are now around £1.43 in the UK while petrol costs £1.36.

    Mr Osborne said: "We've taken action in last two fiscal statements either to avoid a fuel duty increase that was coming or to cut fuel duty.

    "Fuel duty is 6p lower than it would have otherwise would have been. I have absolutely shown willingness to respond to international fuel increases and have taken action this year to tackle fuel duty rises, which were planned by the last Labour government.

    "That's involved committing several billions of pounds in resources and a tax on oil companies, instead of families and motorists."

    Mr Osborne went on to say it was "understandable" that people were angry about the bailout of banks, but insisted the anger "must not spill into anti-business culture".

    "Some of issues that feature in the British debate about perceptions of business feature elsewhere in world," he said.

    "We mustn't let the anger over RBS (LSE: RBS.L - news) four or five years ago colour what we need to do today, and we mustn't allow those in British politics who have never trusted businesses to gain the upper hand.

    "The British economy needs business to invest, create jobs - and the money needs to come from the private sector."

    The Chancellor also defended bank bonuses, saying they have dropped "dramatically".

    "They're much less than they were three of four years ago, and the people who are currently running RBS aren't the people who were running it when the bank blew up."

    He added: "The priority is getting RBS back on its feet and lending, and Stephen Hester (RBS chief executive) has done a pretty good job so far."

     

    10 comments

    • John C  •  2 months ago
      will are still paying via the imf and the amount we chip in is or has gone up
    • frankobserver  •  2 months ago
      Osborne is right in his attitude regarding the euro "bail out" but most people are not anti-business or anti-success.We do however detest cronyism, nepotism, reward for failure and those dubious, talentless creeps who "succeed" with the use of a "loaded dice." You have plenty in Westminster Mr Osborne.
      • PJ1961 2 months ago
        Couldn't agree with you more Frank. But sadly self interest still pretty much dominates the corridors of power.
    • T  •  London, England  •  2 months ago
      We are NOT anti business in the UK. We are anti BANKERS. Why ?, because without doing ANY real work and without doing ANY real sensible research (note RBS massive exposure to Greek debt), bankers are STILL reaping massive rewards. The Bank of England vreates money through QE then loans it to the banking sector at ridiculously low interest rates, Banksers then lend this to the government. Shooting fish in a barrel is harder by comparison. Governments have only TWO choices. Govern FOR the people and AGAINST banks or govern FOR the banks and AGAINST the people. Currently we have the latter situation.
    • STEVEANDMARION  •  2 months ago
      Come off it George, ( & thanks to Labour's little Darling who signed us into this mess), if Ms Lagarde (IMF) wants more money from UK PLC to spend you will have to supply it END OF, you know that & some of us know that, you really do not have a say in what she wants to spend it on. Clearly, UK PLC will go on propping up the corrupt EU for years to come with yet more borrowed money. The EU must still be corrupt because you refused to sign off its audited accounts recently, thats for the sixteenth year in a row, if I did not have my accounts audited yearly I would be in prison by now, or paying a very hefty fine or gone bust.
    • Roger  •  Hull, England  •  2 months ago
      Osborne said no more money today , tomorrow is another day, he will give and we will suffer
    • BARRY1  •  2 months ago
      As a member of the IMF he doesnt have any choice STOP LYING!
    • Malcolm  •  Hounslow, England  •  2 months ago
      good idea george dont borrow more money to give away,that means that all the rubbish about euro,somalia and all the other wasters will be sorted they could borrow direct from some other mugs instead of the world mugs uk,if you need funds contact uk they ALWAYS borrow then give it away,fantastic country but if they need something well thats unfortunate after all it has always been 1 way traffic,ask india,ireland ,portugal and greece
    • jeremy g  •  2 months ago
      Income tax cuts, historically, have been paid for by pension fund raids. Watch out for the abolition of the higher-rate 40% pension relief in the upcoming budget.
    • David  •  London, England  •  2 months ago
      He hasnt ruled it out at all, what he has said is that if others do we will follow like the good lapdogs we are. He hasnt got the guts to rule it out, the only thing he has the guts for is to say he wont borrow to help the UK, but he might borrow to boost the IMF to help others.
    • David  •  London, England  •  2 months ago
      We know George that if the others decide to contribute you will simply follow suit regardless of having to borrow the money. You will not borrow it to fund us but you would to fund others. As for what the libdems want you cant resist that either, both you and Cameron bow down to them whenever they twitch an eyebrow so dont give us the rubbish about not doing what they want. You nor Cameron have the guts to stand up against either the euro crazies or the libdems, we were conned into electing a bunch of whimps.