The British finance minister George Osborne has laid out the state of the UK's finances and outlined spending plans in his autumn statement.
In his last autumn statement before next year's general election the Chancellor was keen to use the opportunity to try to attract voters.
There were some headline grabbing tax announcements but with the UK's budget deficit still not under control he was limited in how generous he could be.
Our UK correspondent Natalie Feary reports…..
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VO1: Here on London's iconic Oxford street stores are looking to draw in shoppers ahead of Christmas. Meanwhile, the British Chancellor George Osborne was looking to lure voters with his autumn statement.
Alex Stephenson, political editor of politics.co.uk says George Osborne's main aim was to show he is the best man for the job of running the country's finances.
SOT Alex Stephenson, Political Editor, politics.co.uk : Ultimately this autumn statement is coming just 5 months before the general election so it was a little bit about the economy of course, but it is really about power. The chancellor is doing everything he can to persuade voters that it is the Conservatives better off in the next five years.
VO2: The Conservatives have not been able to eradicate the budget deficit but the British finance minister insists he must stick to his austerity plans.
SOT George Osborne, British Finance Minister: "Now Britain faces a choice. Do we squander the economic security we have gained, go back to the disastrous decisions on spending and borrowing and welfare that got us into this mess? Or do we finish the job - and go on building the secure economy that works for everyone. I say we stay the course. We stay on course to prosperity."
VO3: Proposals include a 25% tax on multinational companies, an extra 3 billion dollars for the National Service and freezing fuel duty.
VO4: For stores on the UK's high streets he promised a review of business tax rates to help them take on internet companies.
V05: But the opposition Labour party's shadow finance minister Ed Balls says the Conservatives have failed most voters.
SOT Ed Balls, Shadow finance minister, Labour Party: For all his strutting, for all his preening for all his claims to have fixed the economy he promised to make people better off. Working people are worse off. He premised we were all in this together then he cut taxes for millionaires. He promised to balance the books in this parliament and that commitment is now in tatters.
VO6: The chancellor's latest pledge is that he will balance Britain's books by 2019/2020.
PTC Natalie Feary: Despite missing his deficit targets George Osborne was keen to show he has helped get Britain's economy back on track. It's whether businesses and consumers are feeling benefits from the governments' policies which will impact the election.
VO7: But with falling standards of living many will be sticking to window shopping instead of making extravagant purchases this Christmas.
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