Tory press repeats Osborne’s lies about Greece and borrowing

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Here are two things the Tory press won't tell you ahead of today's budget

 

The Times and the Telegraph today quote George Osborne bloviating about economics and the eurozone ahead of his ‘career-defining’ budget.

But the papers’ pre-budget excitement has caused them to leave two claims by the chancellor without qualification, when what they really require is correction.

Here’s the quote:

“Our long-term economic plan is working. But the greatest mistake this country could make would be to think all our problems are solved.

“You only have to look at the crisis unfolding in Greece to realise that if a country is not in control of its borrowing, the borrowing takes control of the country.”

Tip-toeing over the claim that his ‘plan is working’, here are the two false claims, or implications:

1. Britain could have (or still could) suffer a Greek-style crisis

This is false. Greece is part of the Eurozone, and so does not have a central bank which can print money, like, say, the Bank of England. As several economists have pointed out, what happened in Greece could not possibly happen in Britain. Here are some other reasons:

– Britain does not suffer from the level of corruption Greece did.

– Britain’s debt in 2010 was 78.4 percent of GDP, (lower than both France and Germany). Greece’s debt in 2010 was 148.3 percent of GDP. (Source: Eurostat)

– Britain is a much larger economy than Greece. Would anyone compare Germany to Romania? It would make more sense to compare Britain to Germany.

Note: For years up to the general election, Osborne said he had saved Britain from a ‘Greek style crisis’. Now he says we’re still at risk of such a crisis, but he can protect us. This is a shift worth noticing.

2. The Tories have avoided ‘too much’ borrowing

This is false. During Osborne’s first three years in office, he borrowed more than Labour did in 13 years of government, according to Office for National Statistics data. That’s £430.072 billion from 2010 to 2013, versus Labour’s £429.975 billion from 1997 to 2010.

Borrowing since April 2010 (a month before the election) to February 2015 has increased by 55 percent.

The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts debt will hit 81.1 percent of GDP in 2015/16, (before falling in 2019/20).

This borrowing was higher than Osborne’s predictions for three of his five years, (the last three).

So much for being ‘in control of borrowing’.

The Times and the Telegraph ran Osborne’s quote on their front pages today, without qualification. In doing so they propagate two of his favourite myths, and leave the public with a distorted view of reality.

Adam Barnett is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward. Follow MediaWatch on Twitter

Read more: 

Bonfire of the bills: Tory press hails scrapping tax credits and Child Poverty Act

The Sun is STILL saying Tories saved us from ‘Greek-style crisis’

 

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5 Responses to “Tory press repeats Osborne’s lies about Greece and borrowing”

  1. stevep

    George Osborne`s long term economic plan: To take from the poor, sick, disabled and disadvantaged and give to the wealthy, privileged few.
    Same old Tories. Same old story.

    Will we ever learn?

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  3. Belisarius

    Even if your points were true, which they aren’t, no one cares what left wingers say anymore. The UK is not in the 1970s any more. The Labour Party and socialist claptrap ideas are irrelevant now. You’ll never get into government for a generation at least, if ever again. Goodbye, good riddance and enjoy your trip to the people’s Republic of North Korea where you belong.

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  5. JarrowPete

    Yeah, and right-wing policies have been extremely successful haven’t they? *plants face in hand*

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