I am actually quite encouraged and I think, actually, the UK is coping with globalisation a lot better than most other European countries. And that is reflected in the fact that (whilst of course there are people who are still unemployed) our unemployment rate is low and (whilst of course we need to export more) we are attracting a huge amount of inward investment into Britain.

We support the auto-enrolment but we have our doubts about the way the National Pension Scheme is going to be structured.

There are those who are trying to create an anti-business culture in Britain - and we have to stop them. At stake are not pay packages for a few but jobs and prosperity for the many.

I understand the damage the expenses crisis has done to Parliament, and the paramount importance of restoring trust in our politics.

No other chancellor in the long history of the office has felt the need to pass a law in order to convince people he has the political will to implement his own Budget.

One big theme for me is that we have got to move from an economy built on debt to one where we save and invest in the future.

China is absolutely one of the biggest players in the world and if Britain wants to be connected to the world it has to be connected to China.