New support for working families  

My daughter Claudia opened the first window of her advent calendar this morning and was disappointed to find that behind it was just a picture, and not a chocolate. Some of you may have felt as she did, when listening to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s ‘Autumn Statement’ to the House of Commons on Tuesday. This statement traditionally gives a forecast for the economy and for the Government’s tax plans, and was given against the background of the crisis in the eurozone and uncertainty at home. Sadly we do not have the money as a country to spend our way out of difficult economic times, and when you look across Europe at those who have tried and failed the downsides are all too clear. If Britain had carried on borrowing at the rate we were 18months ago we would be bust. If our borrowing costs as a country were similar to those of Italy or Spain, the typical family mortgage payments...