THE BUDGET

INSTANT VIEW 5-UK Oct public debt spirals, retail sales rise - AFX - Thu 19 Nov, 10:12 AM
LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - British retail sales rose slightly less than expected in October but still showed the biggest annual since May 2008, while the public finances deteriorated more sharply than thought in the month, the Office for National Statistics said on Thursday. ---------------------------------------------------------- KEY FIGURES FOR UK RETAIL SALES OCT SEPT FCAST % MM 0.4 0.4 (UNCH) 0.5 % YY 3.4 2.9 (2.4 pvs) 2.9 KEY FIGURES FOR UK PUBLIC FINANCES (IN BLN STG) OCT F'CAST PSNCR 5.899 3.3 PSNB 11.419 6.1 ANALYSTS QUOTES JONATHAN LOYNES, CHIEF EUROPEAN ECONOMIST, CAPITAL ECONOMICS 'October's UK retail sales figures confirm that high street spending is still holding up reasonably strongly in the face of some pretty adverse conditions for consumers. 'With household debt still very high, unemployment set to rise a lot further and a fiscal squeeze looming, the outlook for consumers is hardly rosy. 'October's public finances figures failed to give the Chancellor (Alistair Darling) a boost ahead of next month's pre-budget report, with the PSNB total of 11.4 billion pounds leaving borrowing on track to overshoot Mr Darling's Budget full-year forecast of 175 billion pounds by some 40 billion pounds.' JAMES KNIGHTLEY, ING FINANCIAL MARKETS 'Income growth remains constrained by rising unemployment and low wage growth. 'The demands on income are intensifying though with households paying down debt, saving more and paying higher taxes.

UK's Darling says cautious, sticks to growth forecast - AFX - Fri 23 Oct, 10:26 AM
LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Growth will return to Britain by the end of year, British finance minister Alistair Darling said on Friday, reiterating his Budget forecast after data showed the economy unexpectedly shrank in the third quarter.

Chancellor Alistair Darling and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper - AFP - Tue 20 Oct, 02:24 PM
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper with Chancellor Alistair Darling outside 11 Downing Street in London in April. The deficit ballooned last month, reaching a record for September as the public purse buckled under the weight of a steep recession, according to official data published on Tuesday.

Britain's Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper and Finance Minister Alistair Darling - AFP - Tue 20 Oct, 01:46 PM
Britain's Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper (L) watches as Finance Minister Alistair Darling poses for pictures with a briefcase containing the 2009 Budget Report at a photocall outside 11 Downing Street in London in April. Britain recorded a public deficit of 19.4 billion pounds in September as the economy buckled under the weight of recession, official data showed

Glance-PRESS DIGEST - Financial Times - Oct 5 - AFX - Mon 05 Oct, 04:39 AM
Financial Times DARLING SET TO REVEAL SPENDING CUTS IN AUTUMN Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling will reveal public spending priorities and cuts in this autumn's pre-Budget report.

Alistair Darling is expected to overshoot his borrowing target - AFP - Fri 18 Sep, 12:42 PM
Chancellor Alistair Darling leaves after a visit to a JobCentrePlus in Marylebone, London. Public sector finances plunged further into the red in August, striking a record deficit for the month under the weight of a deep recession, official data has shown.

UPDATE 1-UK still on track to grow by end-2009 -Darling - AFX - Tue 18 Aug, 04:03 PM
LONDON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Britain's economy is still on track to start growing again by the end of the year, finance minister Alistair Darling said on Tuesday, reiterating his budget forecasts after evidence of swifter recovery elsewhere.

The cost of bailing out the banking sector has put the public finances under intense strain - AFP - Tue 21 Jul, 02:34 PM
Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling holds a briefcase containing the 2009 Budget outside No. 11 Downing Street in April 2009. The public deficit soared to a record 18.98 billion pounds in June as the recession hurt tax revenues.

UPDATE 2-UK's Darling seeks to defuse row with c.bank head 02:47 PM [ AFX ]
UK's Darling-budget projections for growth on track 05:15 PM [ AFX ]
Retail sales increased 0.9 percent in April from March. 06:41 AM [ AFP ]
British retail sales increased 0.9 percent in April from March. 05:15 AM [ AFP ]
European countries have seen their deficits blow out as the economic crisis saps tax receipts 10:25 AM [ AFP ]

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper (L) watches as Alistair Darling poses for pictures with the 2009 budget 07:05 AM [ AFP ]
Alistair Darling predicted the economy would return to growth late this year 12:51 PM [ AFP ]
UK'S DARLING-WILL DISCUSS EXIT STRATEGY WHEN WE GET TO THAT STAGE 03:11 PM [ AFX ]
Glance-PRESS DIGEST - Financial Times - April 24 03:10 AM [ AFX ]
The budget included a £1.7-billion scheme aimed to at help people back into work 12:57 PM [ AFP ]

The government forecasts a return to economic growth of 1.25% next year 12:57 PM [ AFP ]
Alistair Darling has defended his predictions 12:57 PM [ AFP ]
The government forecast GDP would shrink this year by 3.5% because of the global financial crisis 10:15 AM [ AFP ]
HIGHLIGHTS-UK's Darling post-Budget comments 08:54 AM [ AFX ]
Properties for sale and rent in Epping 08:29 AM [ AFP ]

The chancellor said the economy would return to growth in late 2009 and would expand by 1.25 percent in 2010 08:29 AM [ AFP ]
Alistair Darling poses with a briefcase containing the 2009 Budget Report in London 08:29 AM [ AFP ]
The budget included a 1.7-billion-pound scheme aimed to at help people back into work amid soaring unemployment 08:29 AM [ AFP ]
The economy is expected to contract by 3.5% this year 08:29 AM [ AFP ]
The Lloyds Banking Group logo is pictured in central London 09:28 PM [ AFP ]