Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer has outlined cautious spending plans to a nation bracing for the shock of leaving the European Union, amid a stream of worsening of economic forecasts that hampered room for giveaways.
Prime Minister David Cameron was reprimanded by a budget watchdog for claiming that it did not see his austerity agenda as a drag on Britain's economy. In a speech on Thursday, Cameron said his deficit-cutting agenda was not responsible for the country's depressed growth rate which was instead caused by the financial crisis, the Euro zone's problems and higher oil prices - a view he said was endorsed by the independent watchdog.