NationMaster - Encyclopedia: George Osborne

George Gideon Oliver Osborne (born 23 May 1971 in London) is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom, and has been Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001. He is currently Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer and leads HM Opposition's Shadow Treasury Team. George W. Osborne, born 1927 in Castlewood, Virginia, died 1998 in Bristol, Tennessee. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is primarily responsible for marking the Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... Open seat redirects here. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ... Oliver Letwin (born May 19, 1956, Hampstead) is the British Member of Parliament for West Dorset, Chairman of the Policy Review, and Chairman of the Conservative Research Department. ... Tatton is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Open seat redirects here. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... For the British skier of the same name, please see Martin Bell (skier). ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... Frances Osborne is a British author. ... Alma mater is Latin for nourishing mother. It was used in ancient Rome as a title for the mother goddess, and in Medieval Christianity for the Virgin Mary. ... College name Magdalen College Latin name Collegium Beatae Mariae Magdalenae Named after Mary Magdalene Established 1458 Sister college Magdalene College, Cambridge President Professor David Clary FRS JCR President Jessica Jones Undergraduates 395 MCR President Eloise Scotford Graduates 230 Location of Magdalen College within central Oxford , Homepage Boatclub Magdalen College (pronounced... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Tatton is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is primarily responsible for marking the Chancellor of the Exchequer. ...

Early life

The eldest son and heir of Sir Peter Osborne, 17th Baronet (and co-founder of the fabric and wallpapers designers, Osborne & Little), Osborne was educated at St Paul's School and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was a 'Demy' (a scholarship winner) in Modern History. He was also editor of the University magazine Isis. He is married to The Hon. Frances Howell, now Frances Osborne, an author (and elder daughter of former Conservative Cabinet Minister David Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford). The couple have two young children. St Pauls School St Pauls School is a boys public school, founded in 1509 by John Colet. ... College name Magdalen College Latin name Collegium Beatae Mariae Magdalenae Named after Mary Magdalene Established 1458 Sister college Magdalene College, Cambridge President Professor David Clary FRS JCR President Jessica Jones Undergraduates 395 MCR President Eloise Scotford Graduates 230 Location of Magdalen College within central Oxford , Homepage Boatclub Magdalen College (pronounced... Frances Osborne is a British author. ... David Arthur Russell Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford, PC, (born January 18, 1936) is a British Conservative politician, journalist, and economic consultant. ...

Originally named Gideon, he changed his name to George when he was 13. In an interview in July 2005, Osborne said: "It was my small act of rebellion. I never liked it. When I finally told my mother she said, 'Nor do I'. So I decided to be George after my grandfather, who was a war hero. Life was easier as a George; it was a straightforward name."^[1]

He joined the Conservative Research Department in 1994 and became Head of the Political Section. Between 1995 and 1997 he was a Special Advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (during the BSE crisis) and worked in the Political Office at 10 Downing Street. Between 1997 and 2001 he worked for then Conservative leader William Hague as a speech writer and Political Secretary. In this role he helped prepare Hague for the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions, often playing the role of Prime Minister Tony Blair. Under the leaderships of Michael Howard and now under David Cameron, he has remained on the Prime Minister's Questions team. The Conservative Research Department (CRD) was an integral part of the central organisation of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. ... William Jefferson Hague (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician, the Member of Parliament for Richmond, North Yorkshire, former leader of the Conservative Party, and current Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... The Rt Hon. ... For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ...

Member of Parliament

Elected as the Member of Parliament for Tatton, Cheshire, in June 2001, he succeeded the Independent MP Martin Bell, who had famously won it from the controversial former Conservative minister Neil Hamilton at the 1997 election. Osborne won with a majority of 8,611, becoming (at that time) the youngest Conservative MP in the House of Commons. At the 2005 election, he was re-elected with an increased majority of 11,731, 51.8% of the vote. For the British skier of the same name, please see Martin Bell (skier). ... Mostyn Neil Hamilton (born March 9, 1949) is a former barrister, teacher and Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ...

Shadow Cabinet

In September 2004, Osborne was appointed Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and following the 2005 General Election he was promoted to Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer at the young age of 33. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is a junior position in the British Cabinet. ... The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is primarily responsible for marking the Chancellor of the Exchequer. ...

He has in the past been touted as a possible future leader of the Conservative Party^[2] and is friends with David Cameron, whose leadership campaign he organised. This close friendship has led to comparisons with the relationship between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Responding to that comparison, at the LSE in February 2006 Osborne said that there had been 'no deal' between him and Cameron, and he has repeatedly denied ambitions beyond the Chancellorship. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ...

Osborne has expressed an interest in the ideas of "tax simplification" (including the idea of flat tax). He set up the Tax Reform Commission in October 2005 to investigate ideas for how to create a 'flatter, simpler' tax system, and in a meeting with the Oxford University Conservative Association that month argued that "we will never get a flat-tax; what we can hope for are flatter, lower, simpler taxes"^{[citation needed]}. A flat tax, also called a proportional tax, is a system that taxes all entities in a class (typically either citizens or corporations) at the same rate (as a proportion on income), as opposed to a graduated, or progressive, scheme. ... The Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) is a student political organization founded in 1924 whose members are drawn from Oxford University. ...

In June 2006 and 2007 Osborne attended the annual Bilderberg Conference.^[3]^[4] The front cover of the privately circulated report of the 1980 Bilderberg conference in Bad Aachen, Germany. ...

Policy standpoint

Coming into the 2007 party conference season, the Conservative Party was trailing the Labour Party in the polls by a substantial margin, of between 7 and 10 percentage points, depending on the polling organisation. Speculation was rife that Gordon Brown, the Labour Prime Minister was to call a snap election immediately after the conference season: several factors had fueled this speculation in the media, including the bringing forward of the Chancellor's budget statement in the Commons. It is widely held that the bounce in the polls that the Conservatives enjoyed in the immediate aftermath of their conference was due to two factors: the strength of David Cameron's conference closing speech and the specific economic and tax policies announced by George Osborne in his Shadow Chancellor's address [1] - in particular tax policies on inheritance tax and stamp duty. Many explanations have been given (including by Gordon Brown himself [2]) as to why a snap election was not called, but a key factor is believed to be changes in the polls following the Conservative Party conference. The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ...

Controversy

Cocaine allegations

In October 2005, Jennifer Shackleton, known to Osborne as Nathalie, produced a photograph of them at her flat in 1993 and claimed that they had taken cocaine together. In the photograph, published by the Sunday Mirror, the table in front of the pair holds rolled up papers and what appears to be a line of white powder, evidence of recent drug use according to Shackleton. Osborne denied the claims.^[5] Labour MP Dennis Skinner was excluded from the House of Commons for claiming Osborne had taken cocaine^[6] (coining the much used 'Boy George' nickname in the process^[6]). Osborne was running David Cameron's bid to become party leader when the allegations surfaced. During that campaign Cameron was also accused of having taken cocaine. Shackleton was quoted as saying, "Osborne and Cameron have been trying to brush their pasts under the carpet, saying whatever they did in the past is not relevant. But I think it's important they tell the truth." Osborne retorted that '"the allegations are completely untrue and dredging up a photo from when I was 22 years old is pretty desperate stuff. This is merely part of a smear campaign to divert attention from the issues that matter in this leadership contest and I am confident people will not be distracted by this rubbish."^[7] Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... Alternate newspaper: The Daily Mirror (Australia) The Daily Mirror is a popular British tabloid daily newspaper. ... Skinner in the House of Commons. ... For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ...

Attacks on Gordon Brown

Osborne has criticised Brown aggressively throughout his tenure as Shadow Chancellor. The Official Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet (normally referred to simply as The Shadow Cabinet) is, in British parliamentary practice, a group of members from Her Majestys Loyal Opposition whose job it is to scrutinise their opposite numbers in government and come up with alternative policies. ...

During Osborne's response to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown's Pre-Budget Report on 5 December 2005 (in which Brown announced the revision of his estimate for UK growth in 2005 to from 3.50% to 1.75%), Osborne attacked Brown as "a Chancellor past his sell by date, a Chancellor holding Britain back". In an interview the same week, he also referred to Brown as 'brutal' and 'unpleasant'.^[8] The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister responsible for all economic and financial matters. ... For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Osborne found himself rebuked by the Speaker of the House of Commons on 26 October 2006 when he attacked the Chancellor at Oral Questions to the Chancellor by citing a comment attributed to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton, describing the Chancellor as likely to make an 'effing awful' Prime Minister.^[9] The term Speaker is usually the title given to the presiding officer of a countrys lower house of parliament or congress (ie: the House of Commons or House of Representatives). ... is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a position in the UK cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. ... For other persons named John Hutton, see John Hutton (disambiguation). ...

It has been widely suggested that Osborne is leading an assault on Brown which will allow them to discredit him without damaging David Cameron's softer public image.^[10]^[11] A frequent target for Osborne had been the Schools Secretary, Ed Balls when he was the Treasury's Economic Secretary between 1997-2004. Osborne has made a point of singling him out for his poor media skills.^[9] The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families is a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom. ... Edward Michael Balls (born 25 February 1967) is a British politician, and Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for the West Yorkshire constituency of Normanton. ... This article is about various offices in the government of the United Kingdom. ...

"Autism" comments

During the October 2006 Conservative Party Conference Osborne was asked by a journalist at a fringe meeting if he was "faintly autistic", after recalling his propensity for remembering odd facts. Osborne responded by joking "we're not getting on to Gordon Brown yet."^[12] This comment drew controversy and was immediately attacked by the National Autistic Society, a director of which stated that "any pejorative use of terms relating to autism can cause deep distress and hurt to people affected by the condition". A spokesman for Brown demanded an apology from Osborne for the comment, which has not been forthcoming. In response Osborne stated he did not intend to insult people suffering from autism, though he did add, "do I think that Chancellor Gordon Brown needs better relations with his colleagues, let alone with the opposition front bench? Most certainly." In the same meeting Osborne also said of Brown "He's the only man, apart from close members of my family, who has hung up the phone on me." The National Autistic Society (NAS) is the United Kingdoms most prominent autism-related charity. ...

Channel 4 and FactCheck

Osborne has been critiqued very heavily by the popular Channel 4 News 'FactCheck' item. FactCheck gives a rating from one to five for political claims where "the lower end of the scale indicates that the claim in question largerly checks out, while the upper end of the scale suggests misrepresentation, exaggeration, a massaging of statistics and/or language. In the unlikely event that we award a 5 out of 5, our FactCheckers have concluded that the claim under examination has absolutely no basis in fact." [3] For example, Osborne's critique of Gordon Brown's pensions tax was described as is "an absurd exaggeration" (receiving a rating of 4 out of 5) [4]. Osborne's claims about tax rises have also been given a 4 out of 5 rating, and criticised for not having "very much to do with the actual facts of the case. Nor does it make much of a useful commentary on what is actually happening in the economy." [5] Moreover, Channel 4 was also responsible for publishing e-mails leaked from Osborne's office. [6]

Bullingdon Club

It was revealed in the Daily Mail on 7 April 2007 that whilst at Oxford, George Osborne had been a member of the Bullingdon Club, a dining club [7]. This had become a significant political issue after it was revealed that David Cameron had been a member of the club and that it was 'infamous for "trashing" restaurants and other riotous behaviour' and 'is open only to sons of aristocratic families and the super-rich'. The Conservative Party have sought to distance themselves from the antics of the Bullingdon Club's members, particularly because it included many Conservative MPs and various photos in circulation are considered extremely damaging to the new party image. [8]. The Daily Mail and its Sunday edition the Mail on Sunday are British newspapers, first published in 1896. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Bullingdon Club members pose for the camera in 1986. ... For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ...

White House visit

Osborne visited the White House on 25 April 2007 as part of Malaria Awareness Day. The Times wrote that "George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, will meet President Bush in the White House today in a significant boost to the Conservatives’ international credibility and a thawing in their frosty relations with Washington" and that "Mr Bush wants to talk to Mr Osborne about the Conservatives’ recent announcement that they would pledge £500 million a year to help to wipe out malaria, matching a spending promise made by Washington". [9] However, it transpired that Osborne was one of 150 guests, and there was no meeting scheduled between Osborne and Bush. [10] The following day, the Times print edition reported that the White House had been active in quashing any claims that Osborne had met Bush.^[13] The Conservatives, however, countered that they had never claimed there would be any such meeting. However, this claim was attacked by the Daily Telegraph's Washington correspondent.[11] For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... This article concerns the British newspaper. ...

See also

The Conservative Research Department (CRD) was an integral part of the central organisation of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. ... The Official Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet (normally referred to simply as The Shadow Cabinet) is, in British parliamentary practice, a group of members from Her Majestys Loyal Opposition whose job it is to scrutinise their opposite numbers in government and come up with alternative policies. ...

References

id="External_links"> Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords HÃ©lÃ¨ne Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords HÃ©lÃ¨ne Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Daily Mail and its Sunday edition the Mail on Sunday are British newspapers, first published in 1896. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Financial Times (FT) is a British international business newspaper. ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Hansard is the traditional name for the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. ... is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Derek Draper was a New Labour insider and lobbyist who was at the centre of a scandal about political lobbying known as Lobbygate, the Cash for Access scandal, or Drapergate. Derek attended the University of Manchester, where he was first spotted by Peter Mandelson, and employed by the latter as... Guardian Unlimited is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

External links

Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords HÃ©lÃ¨ne Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist... For the British skier of the same name, please see Martin Bell (skier). ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Tatton is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ...

Contents

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