deficit

In May 2010 our economy had bounced back from the banking crisis and was growing well.

For as long as there has been organised government, there has been satire. From Aristophanes to Steve Bell, power has been mocked: it is a mark of the spirit of freedom.

Chancellor George Osborne is trying his best to spin his way out of trouble on the failures of austerity economics to deliver sustainable, widespread recovery and reduce debt.

Last year, I visited the Judean desert and met with people who used a water pipe funded by UK aid money. Before the pipe was fitted, the villagers often had to go ten days without a bath. Now they can bathe every three days. They are also better able to water their vegetables and feed their livestock. The aid money has thus made them more independent, not less.