Jeremy Hunt defends chancellor's record

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt today defended George Osborne's record in office after a poll suggested nearly half of Britain's voters believe the Chancellor should be ousted.

Mr Hunt told the Sky News Murnaghan programme that Mr Osborne "has been one of the bravest chancellors in history", putting through a package of spending cuts.

Research commissioned by the Sunday Mirror and the Independent on Sunday found 44% of adults wanted him to be replaced, while just 20% believed he should remain in the job.

Asked if those within the party were losing confidence in Mr Osborne's ability to fulfil his key economic role alongside that of party strategy, Mr Hunt replied: "Absolutely not, you don't become chancellor because you want to be Mr Popular, look at Geoffrey Howe with his 1981 Budget or look at Nigel Lawson with his Budget."

He added: "The job of the Chancellor is to take really tough and difficult decisions that have their payback many years hence when you've taken the decisions in the interests of the economy.

"And George Osborne has been one of the bravest chancellors in history, putting through a package of spending cuts, about a 19% cut in public spending across the course of this Parliament, never been done in peace time before and as a result of that he's kept Britain out of the firestorm that has engulfed the eurozone and many other countries and that's what he will be remembered for."

PA