Chancellor to revise previous predictions of recovery for the second half of this year

Chancellor Alistair Darling has warned that Britain is 鈥渇ar from through鈥� the recession, according to reports.

The statement was made yesterday in an interview with the Financial Times and signalled that he will be forced to abandon the government鈥檚 forecast that the recovery would begin in the second half of 2009.

Economic data has suggested that the chancellor鈥檚 forecasts last November, which said Britain was now at the midpoint of a one-year recession, were over-optimistic, and would have to be amended in the spring鈥檚 Budget.


Alistair Darling
Darling: Britain is 鈥渇ar from through鈥� the recession

Darling said the predictions had been 鈥渂ased on the evidence we had at the time鈥�.

The chancellor criticised the Conservatives鈥� proposals to cut public spending by 拢5bn next year, labelling it 鈥渦tter madness鈥�. Instead, he maintained that the government鈥檚 拢20bn fiscal stimulus was the correct way to help the economy.

Darling is expected to announce a package of measures aimed at supporting bank lending to business in the coming weeks.

On Thursday, the Bank of England is expected to slash interest rates to their lowest point for 300 years.

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