Tony Dolphin, IPPR

Just days ago, Tony Dolphin, senior economist at the left-of-centre Institute for Public Policy Research, published his 10-point plan for growth. Some of his recommendations bear a similarity to what Mr Osborne announced in his autumn statement - help for the young unemployed, tax breaks for business, infrastructure spending, the expansion of free childcare places. But there is a fundamental difference.

Mr Dolphin believes the government's austerity programme of spending cuts and tax increases is moving ahead too quickly at a time economy activity needs to be stimulated, not stifled.

"The one thing he isn't doing is increasing demand in the economy at the moment," Mr Dolphin told Channel 4 News.

"The main problem is a shortage of demand because our main export market (the eurozone) is going into recession, households are being squeezed, and the government is cutting spending.

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