Ed Balls slams Osborne's 'desperate excuses' on economy
Ed Balls MP, Labour's shadow chancellor, has responded to George Osborne's article in the Sunday Telegraph:
"It's deeply complacent and out of touch for George Osborne to blame Europe for a double-dip recession made in Downing Street. He will fool nobody with these increasingly desperate excuses.
"Despite the eurozone crisis, Germany, France and the euro area as a whole have so far avoided recession while Britain's recovery was choked off in the autumn of 2010.
"Our domestic economy shrank last year and without exports to Europe and the rest of the world we would have been in recession over a year ago.
"We urgently need a change of course and a plan for jobs and growth, here in Britain and in the eurozone, if we're to get people back to work and get deficits down. If we fail to act now, we will pay a very heavy long term price."
More top news
Two killed as floods sweep San Antonio, Texas
Two women were killed yesterday as heavy rain in San Antonio caused floodwaters so strong they swept cars and a city bus off the street.
Thousands run final mile of Boston Marathon
Thousands of runners joined victims' families of the Boston Marathon bombings to run and walk the last mile of the race on Saturday.
Richard Taylor on Woolwich suspect Michael Adebowala
Richard Taylor OBE, father of murdered schoolboy Damilola, has spoken to ITV News about how he mentored Woolwich suspect Michael Adebowala.