An unrepentant David Cameron prepared consumers and the markets for publication on Tuesday of gruesome growth figures by admitting Britain's "path back to growth will be a difficult one", but insisting no shortcut lay in either a fiscal or monetary stimulus. The chancellor, George Osborne, also set out his defence ahead of an expected political battering by claiming he had "turned Britain into a safe harbour in a storm" by focusing so rigidly on deficit reduction. He admitted: "There are risks to current and future growth."
Both the prime minister and the chancellor spoke about the depth of Britain's economic difficulties on Monday after being briefed on the growth figures for the second quarter to be published by the Office for National Statistics .
The figures are expected to show Britain's economy has flatlined for almost a year, contrasting with strong growth in Germany and, to a lesser extent, France.
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