Brown rejects budget deficit demands

In a new setback for the European Commission in its efforts to impose budget discipline, the UK Chancellor Gordon Brown on 11 January 2006 rejected EC demands to raise taxes or cut spending to control the UK's 'excessive' budget deficit.

BBC News, 11.1.06: Brown gets EU borrowing reprimand http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4601428.stm

European Commission: Press Release: IP/06/17: Commission recommends correction of UK budget deficit http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/17&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: DG Economic and Financial Affairs: Activities: Fiscal surveillance: Ongoing procedures under article 104 of the Treaty (Excessive Deficit Procedure): United Kingdom http://ec.europa.eu/comm/economy_finance/about/activities/sgp/edp/edpuk_en.htm

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