Osborne will stay as Chancellor - Cameron

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Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne speaks at the Global Investment Conference 2012 in London July 26, 2012. REUTERS/Neil Hall

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne speaks at the Global Investment Conference 2012 in London July 26, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Neil Hall

LONDON | Thu Aug 2, 2012 7:51pm BST

LONDON (Reuters) - George Osborne will still be Britain's Chancellor by the next general election in 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday, in response to speculation that he would be replaced in a cabinet reshuffle.

"George Osborne is doing an excellent job in very difficult circumstances and he has my full support in going on and doing that job," he said on Sky television.

Asked whether he would still be chancellor at the next election, Cameron replied: "He's not going anywhere."

Asked the same question again, Cameron replied "yes."

After a slide back into recession and a poorly communicated budget in March which appeared to make the poor and elderly pay for a tax cut for the rich, Osborne has faced his toughest period since taking office in 2010.

A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times showed just 15 percent of voters thought Osborne was doing a good job. Only one in five said Cameron should keep his right-hand man, a result echoed in a Sunday Mirror/Independent on Sunday poll by Comres.

But ministers and government officials have already dismissed talk of Osborne's imminent departure, arguing it would throw the government's economic policy into chaos and could put Britain's credit rating at risk.

(Reporting by Stephen Addison; editing by Ron Askew)
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Comments (3)
ultimate wrote:
Cameron out and William Hague in,then we can see a much needed alteration in both personnel and policy.Hague seems a vastly superior politician and diplomat,whereas Cameron,so far,has been nothing short of embarrasing.Cameron has been bad for Britains health in terms of international relations.And Hague does seem to have the kind of skills to be able to keep the alliance together

Aug 02, 2012 7:26pm BST  --  Report as abuse
DR9WX wrote:
Dear ultimate,

Imagine you get washed up on a desert island. There are four others with you. A politician of your choice, a Banker, an Investment Banker and a Central Banker. Does it really matter whether the politician is Hague or Cameron?

You do realise that it will be you that is catching all the fish.

I hope the four with me will be a fisherman, a farmer, my partner and an Investment Banker. I won’t go into details.

I don’t find any fault with your analysis and I appreciate anyone commenting on anything.

Regards

DR9WX

Aug 02, 2012 10:26pm BST  --  Report as abuse
meolive wrote:
With all due respect ultimate, I don’t think Hague or anyone else could keep the ‘alliance’ together at this point. It’s going to end badly (and perhaps that was always on the cards), though probably more so for the Lib Dems than Conservatives.
Cameron refusing to ditch Osborne is of course predictable, the coalition’s mantra has from the start been to plough on blindly, ignore public opinion and refuse to admit when things aren’t working.

Aug 02, 2012 11:56pm BST  --  Report as abuse
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