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Added on the 21/03/2013 15:54:21 - Copyright : France 24 EN
UK Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt poses outside 11 Downing Street with the red, leather-covered box containing his speech before leaving to present the spring budget to parliament. Britain's Conservative government is expected to use the budget update to unveil tax cuts for millions of workers, in an attempt to woo voters before a general election. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's party, which has been in power since 2010, is well behind the main opposition Labour party in opinion polls and looks likely to be dumped out of office. IMAGES
The leader of French conservative LR party at the National Assembly accused the newly-appointed Culture Minister Rachida Dati to have " made a deal with (French President) Macron". Dati on Wednesday said she plans to run for Paris mayor in 2026, only days after joining President Emmanuel Macron's reshuffled government. Dati's arrival was the biggest surprise in last week's cabinet shake-up that saw 34-year-old Gabriel Attal take over as prime minister. Up until her appointment, Dati was a long-standing member of the opposition conservative LR party, and is mayor of the French capital's chic 7th district that is home to most French ministries, the country's parliament and many foreign embassies. SOUNDBITE
Britain's economy will rebound this year and not shrink as initially thought, but will grow far less than expected next year, finance minister Jeremy Hunt says as he presents his Autumn Statement to parliament. Gross domestic product will expand 0.6 percent in 2023, Hunt said citing the Office for Budget Responsibility fiscal watchdog, upgrading its prior forecast of minus 0.2 percent. GDP is then set to grow by 0.7 percent in 2024, which was sharply down from previous guidance for a 1.8-percent expansion. SOUNDBITE
Images of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's car arriving at the palace to present his resignation to the King after his coalition government collapsed in a row over migration, triggering elections later this year. IMAGES
After losing the country's general election at the weekend, Finland's outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin tenders her government's resignation to President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki. IMAGES
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) Jeremy Hunt makes the traditional appearance with the Secretary of State's red box as he leaves 11 Downing Street to deliver his first budget to Parliament. The budget is expected to include more help on soaring energy bills and childcare costs, but the government is set to stand firm on rising public sector pay demands as the country endures a fresh wave of strikes. On Wednesday, teachers, civil servants, junior doctors, BBC journalists and London Tube drivers all walked out with UK inflation remaining above 10 percent. IMAGES