Best 92 quotes of George Osborne on MyQuotes

A generous basic state pension is the least a civilized society should offer those who have worked hard and saved through their whole lives.

At the moment we are hard-wired into the European markets - 50% of our exports go to Europe - and that has not been good for the UK. So I'm not saying "make Britain entirely dependent on China". I'm saying "let's diversify a bit". When I became chancellor, China was our ninth largest trading partner. This is the world's second biggest economy. China was doing more business with Belgium than it was with Britain.

Autism is a very serious condition.

[Banks] have a clear obligation to help get this country off its addiction to debt because they sure as hell helped to get this country addicted to debt.

Believe me, I understand that most higher rate taxpayers are not the super-rich.

Britain has no divine right to be one of the richest countries in the world.

Britain cannot afford to cut itself off from what is going on in the world, we are too interconnected with what is going on, we have a powerful history and tradition of taking an interest in what is going on in the world, we've also got a very real interest in the future, in remaining connected.

Britain is China's best partner in the West.

Britain is not part of the single currency. That is a decision we have taken, a voluntary decision of this country, but as a result are part of a European Union 19 of whose members are rapidly integrating, creating political, fiscal, monetary, economic union to make their currency work. And that is increasingly rubbing up against the operation.

Britain needs a simpler tax system which is simple to understand, where there are no loop-holes, where the very rich do not avoid tax by employing expensive accountants

Britain should not be forced to make a choice between joining the single currency and leaving the EU, because if we're forced to make that choice we would leave the EU.

British taxpayers should not bear the costs of problems in the Eurozone.

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.

Cutting budget deficits can never be just an exercise in economics.

Establishing proper economic governance that allows the Eurozone to undertake the integration it needs whilst protecting the interests of the single market for all 28, the rights of member states who are not in the Euro - including of course the UK - is really important for the future of the European Union.

Even a China growing at 7% or indeed less is still adding to the world economy an economy equivalent to the UK or more.

Every day as Chancellor I see alerts telling me of risks around the world.

Everyone in our society has had to make a contribution towards dealing with the debts.

For example at the moment there is a compulsory requirement to buy an annuity. That is something we would get rid of. It puts some people off saving.

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.

I believe in public services.

I believe that I'm entitled to regard my pre-political life as off-limits in terms of what can be looked at and judged.

I did meet Mickey Mouse in California, and he seems to be writing the Labour party's economic policy at the moment.

I didn't come from a traditional Tory background; it was urban and metropolitan.

I find China such a fascinating and interesting country. Each time I come back something has changed and it's moved on in leaps and bounds.

If we don't get a grip on government spending, there will be no growth.

If you're looking for ways to cut waste in government, you can start with John Prescott.

If you want to change the way your banking system is regulated, if you want to learn the mistakes of what's gone wrong, then you have to change your government.

I get a lot of letters from people.

I have done everything I can to move Britain out of the financial danger zone.

I'm fed up with Britain being condemned to this future where we borrow the Chinese in order to buy from the Chinese the things that they make for us.

I'm not saying "job done" but I am actually pretty confident that Britain can be one of the biggest winners from these big global changes that are taking place and indeed become the richest of the major economies in the world in this coming generation.

I reject absolutely the idea that people should know their place, and know their class.

I see no real argument in Britain that is concerned that an Indian company owns our most successful car manufacturer or that the sewer system under London is being renewed in part by Chinese investment. There are the odd voices that express concern but they are very marginal and they are not being listened to by the British people.

I support gay marriage. I support gay marriage because I believe Conservatives support the institutions of commitment.

I think Britain needs to get out there on the world stage and make itself heard. And for much of my political career, there has been a sense of retreat from the world stage because of what happened in the Iraq War.

I think essentially if you look at British public debate around the issues of our interconnectedness with the global economy you do not find a ready audience, of any large scale, for pulling up the shutters.

I think the British people have a strong sense of what is fair.

I think we woefully failed to connect Britain to the growing Chinese economy in the previous decade, and I have sought to remedy that. China is now the sixth biggest trading partner with the UK. We have attracted now the lion's share of Chinese investment that is going into Europe.

I think you can look at the British economy with confidence.

It is not fair that people who are born in the UK to parents who are domiciled here, can later in life claim to be non-doms and live here, it is not fair that non-doms with residential property here in the UK can put it in an offshore company and avoid inheritance tax.

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

I very much support financial education in schools.

I want Britain to be the home of successful competitive and stable financial services.

I want to see genuine talent rewarded.

I would also like to see children aged between 11 and 18 taught financial education in a structured way in schools. I would also say that that is not enough. You have also got to improve numeracy skills, mathematical skills in schools.

Just as it wouldn't be right to only to have an economic dialogue with China, equally you shouldn't restrict your dialogue solely to issues around, say, human rights. You can raise all those issues, and that is what reflects a mature discussion. So I don't think essentially we have to choose between being partners in China's economic development and being proud defenders of British values.

Just as we should never balance the budget on the backs of the poor, so it is an economic delusion to think you can balance it only on the wallets of the rich.

Let's also teach people about pensions and savings, insurance and the like. But if they aren't already familiar with numbers that won't be as effective as it might be.

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.