Has George Osborne grasped the poisoned chalice?
If there was one member of David Cameron's close-knit team under pressure before and immediately after the election it was George Osborne who many believe is "not up to the job". He was ridiculed by the Labour Party on numerous occasions as various strategists pinpointed him as the potential weak link in the chain of would-be Conservative party Cabinet ministers. However, there is no doubt that George Osborne has taken to the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer like a duck to water but has he grasped the poisoned chalice?
Despite the fact that George Osborne's rating amongst voters and amongst the public has improved since he took office he inherits one of the most difficult economic situations in living history. There is literally no money to spend for the UK government, the budget deficit is currently in excess of £150 billion and national debt is quoted at a conservative £1 trillion. Against this background George Osborne has very little room for maneuver but he has at least attempted to grasp the nettle and attack the difficult issues first.
Ultimately his legacy will depend upon how the UK economy performs in the short to medium term and whether in fact he can build upon Labour Party strategies implemented over the last couple of years.
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