Alistair Darling and Mervyn King speeches

Alistair Darling and Mervyn King speeches; Alistair Darling MP (Chancellor of the Exchequer) speech SOT - My Lord Mayor, ladies and gentlemen. It is an honour to be with you again tonight at this prestigious event. Although I am aware, that given the past year, any occasion where a member of Parliament addresses a room of bankers is unlikely to win a popularity contest among the general public. It has been a long year since I last spoke to you. Twelve months ago, the UK and global economies were facing considerable uncertainty. Then the major threat to the economy was widely perceived to be high inflation. Today, while the threat of inflation is still there, we are facing a very different economic landscape. We are working our way through the sharpest and most widespread global downturn in well over 60 years. In the course of the last year, I found myself in the autumn painted as a doom-monger – and in the spring as a wild-eyed optimist. Neither, I think, is a fair reflection of my character, or my position. There is still a great deal of uncertainty in the global economy. And we must remain cautious. There is growing evidence that the steps taken, at home and internationally, are stabilising the banking system and supporting our economies. And this is in line with my Budget forecast for growth around the turn of the year – and my confidence in the strength and resilience of the British economy in the medium-term. While I am cautious, I also remain confident. Confident that the steps to help people into work, and prevent job-loss becoming permanent unemployment, are also making a difference. Today’s figures show the claimant count rose by 39,000 in May. For every single man and woman affected this causes worry and difficulties. But the increase was smaller than widely expected It is not in any government’s power to protect every job And even when the recovery is underway, it wi...