Balls says government have “failed every test and broken every promise” on the economy

Ahead of the Autumn Statement, Ed Balls has taken a bullish swipe at Cameron and Osborne – attacking them as having  “failed every test and broken every promise” on the economy. Balls, who will respond to the statement (unlike the Budget where the Opposition Leader responds), also argues that Labour would “balance the books in a fairer way”. Here’s what the Shadow Chancellor had to say this evening:

“David Cameron and George Osborne have now failed every test and broken every promise they made on the economy.

“They promised living standards would rise, but while millionaires have got a huge tax cut working people are £1600 a year worse off under the Tories. This cost-of-living crisis is why the Chancellor will have to admit he has broken his promise to balance the books by next year.

“A Labour Autumn Statement would set out a better and fairer plan to deliver a recovery that works for the many and not just a few.

“Labour’s economic plan will raise the minimum wage, expand free childcare for working parents, get more homes built and cut business rates for small firms.

“We will balance the books in a fairer way, starting by reversing the £3 billion a year tax cut for the top one per cent of earners.

“And we will save and transform our National Health Service with a fully-funded long-term plan. We will raise an extra £2.5 billion a year to deliver 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more GPs – a commitment the Tories refuse to match.”

Meanwhile, a new ComRes / ITV News poll says that half of Britons (52%) do not think the Government has got the deficit under control…