View source for George Osborne

{{Short description|British newspaper editor and politician (born 1971)}}
{{Other people}}
{{pp-blp|small=yes}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
<!-- NOTE: please refrain from appending the post-nominals "PC" after his name, 'The Right Honourable' before his name is enough to prove he is a Privy Counsellor; only peers who are Privy Counsellors are entitled to the use of both 'The Right Honourable' and the post-nominals 'PC' -->| honorific-prefix    = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name                = George Osborne
| honorific-suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CH}}
| image               = Osborne 2015.jpg
| caption             = Official portrait, 2015
| office              = [[First Secretary of State]]
| primeminister       = [[David Cameron]]
| term_start          = 8 May 2015
| term_end            = 13 July 2016
| predecessor         = [[William Hague]]
| successor           = [[Damian Green]]{{efn|Office vacant between July 2016 and June 2017}}
| office1             = [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]
| primeminister1      = [[David Cameron]]
| term_start1         = 11 May 2010
| term_end1           = 13 July 2016
| predecessor1        = [[Alistair Darling]]
| successor1          = [[Philip Hammond]]
{{collapsed infobox section begin|last=yes|[[Shadow Cabinet]] posts
|titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed = yes
| office4 = [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer]]
| leader4 = [[Michael Howard]]<br />[[David Cameron]]
|1blankname4 = Shadowing
| term_start4 = 10 May 2005
| term_end4 = 11 May 2010
| predecessor4 = [[Oliver Letwin]]
| successor4 = [[Alistair Darling]]
| office5 = [[Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury]]
| leader5 = [[Michael Howard]]
| term_start5 = 14 June 2004
| term_end5 = 10 May 2005
| predecessor5 = [[Howard Flight]]
| successor5 = [[Philip Hammond]]
{{collapsed infobox section end}}
}}
| office6             = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]]<br />for [[Tatton (UK Parliament constituency)|Tatton]]
| term_start6         = 7 June 2001
| term_end6           = 3 May 2017
| predecessor6        = [[Martin Bell]]
| successor6          = [[Esther McVey]]
| birth_name          = Gideon Oliver Osborne
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1971|5|23|df=y}}
| birth_place         = London, England
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| spouse              = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Frances Howell]]|1998|2019|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Thea Rogers|2023}}
}}
| children            = 5
| parents             = [[Sir Peter Osborne, 17th Baronet]]{{break}}Felicity Loxton-Peacock
| alma_mater          = [[Magdalen College, Oxford]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| signature           = Signature of George Osborne.gif
| website             = <!--No point linking to georgeosborne4tatton.com or georgeosborne.com which are no longer owned or controlled by the subject. Linked to in the body of the article via archive.org -->
| module              = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=George Osborne explains 2015 Spending Review.ogg|title=George Osborne's voice|type=speech|description=Osborne explains the [[2015 Spending Review]]<br />Recorded 21 July 2015}}
{{notelist}}
}}
'''George Gideon Oliver Osborne''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CH}} (born 23 May 1971) is a British retired politician and newspaper editor who served as [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] from 2010 to 2016 and as [[First Secretary of State]] from 2015 to 2016 in the [[Premiership of David Cameron|Cameron government]]. A member of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]], he was [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Tatton (UK Parliament constituency)|Tatton]] from 2001 to 2017.<ref name=georgeosborne.co.uk>{{cite web|first=George|last=Osborne|year=2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060107050959/http://georgeosborne.co.uk/|archive-date=2006-01-07|url=http://georgeosborne.co.uk|website=georgeosborne.co.uk|title=George Osborne MP}}</ref>

The son of the [[Osborne & Little]] co-founder and [[baronet]] [[Sir Peter Osborne, 17th Baronet|Peter Osborne]], Osborne was born in [[Paddington]] and educated at [[Norland Place School]], [[Colet Court]] and [[St Paul's School, London]] before studying at the [[University of Oxford]] as an undergraduate student of [[Magdalen College, Oxford]]. After working briefly as a freelancer for ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', he joined the [[Conservative Research Department]] in 1994 and became head of its political section. He went on to be a [[Special adviser (UK)|special adviser]] to [[Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food]] [[Douglas Hogg]] and work for [[John Major]] at [[10 Downing Street]], including on Major's unsuccessful [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]] campaign. In [[Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition (United Kingdom)|Opposition]], he worked as a speechwriter and political secretary to Major's successor as party leader, [[William Hague]]. Osborne was elected as MP for Tatton in 2001, becoming the youngest Conservative member of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]].<ref name=tatton>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320151250/https://www.georgeosborne4tatton.com/|archive-date=2017-03-20|url=https://www.georgeosborne4tatton.com|website=georgeosborne4tatton.com|first=George|last=Osborne|year=2017|title=George Osborne: MP for Tatton}}</ref> He was appointed [[Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury]] by Conservative leader [[Michael Howard]] in 2004. The following year Howard appointed him [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer]], a position Osborne kept after running [[David Cameron]]'s successful [[2005 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election|party leadership campaign]].

After the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]], Osborne was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer in the [[Cameron–Clegg coalition]]. He succeeded [[Alistair Darling]], inheriting a large deficit in government finances due to the effects of the [[2008 financial crisis]]. As Chancellor, [[Chancellorship of George Osborne|Osborne's tenure]] pursued considerably severe [[United Kingdom government austerity programme|austerity policies]], aimed at reducing the budget deficit and launched the [[Northern Powerhouse]] initiative. In 2012, Osborne significantly reduced taxes for the top rate of earners. After the Conservatives won an overall majority in the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]], Cameron reappointed him Chancellor in his [[Second Cameron ministry|second government]] and gave him the additional title of [[First Secretary of State]]. He was widely viewed as a potential successor to David Cameron as Leader of the Conservative Party; one Conservative MP, [[Nadhim Zahawi]], suggested that the closeness of his relationship with Cameron meant that the two effectively shared power during the duration of the Cameron governments.<ref name="reinvention">{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/d1d65690-c2ae-11e4-a59c-00144feab7de|title=The reinvention of George Osborne|last1=Parker|first1=George|date=6 March 2015|work=Financial Times|access-date=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402161221/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d1d65690-c2ae-11e4-a59c-00144feab7de.html|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|2016 referendum vote to leave the European Union]] and Cameron's consequent resignation, he was dismissed by Cameron's successor, [[Theresa May]].

Osborne served on the [[backbenches]] for a year before leaving public office at the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]]. He was editor of the ''[[Evening Standard]]'' from 2017 to 2020. He has been chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) since 2016 and of the [[British Museum]] since 2021. He has also hosted the politics podcast ''[[Political Currency]]'' with [[Ed Balls]] since 2023. 

== Early life and education ==
Osborne was born in [[Paddington]], London,<ref name="geneall. net">{{cite web|url=http://www.geneall.net/U/per_page.php?id=1309305|title=George Gideon Oliver Osborne|access-date=3 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140319174947/http://www.geneall.net/U/per_page.php?id=1309305|archive-date=19 March 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> as Gideon Oliver Osborne.<ref name="ReferenceA">Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition, volume 2, page 3030.</ref> His father is [[Sir Peter Osborne, 17th Baronet]], co-founder of the firm of fabric and wallpaper designers [[Osborne & Little]].<ref name="Guardian_08_10_09">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/gallery/2009/oct/08/conservatives-toryconference-top-10?picture=353948131 |title=Britain's Top 10 Tories |date=8 October 2009 |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=23 February 2010 |first1=Michael |last1=White |first2=Nick |last2=Boles |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031060834/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/gallery/2009/oct/08/conservatives-toryconference-top-10?picture=353948131 |archive-date=31 October 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> His mother is Felicity Alexandra Loxton-Peacock, the daughter of Hungarian-born [[Hungarian Jews|Jewish]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Former Chancellor George Osborne discovers he is Jewish |url=https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/former-chancellor-george-osborne-discovers-he-is-jewish/ |work=Jewish News |date=14 May 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=13 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724030245/http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/former-chancellor-george-osborne-discovers-he-is-jewish/ |archive-date=24 July 2018 }}</ref><ref name="mendick">{{cite news |last1=Mendick |first1=Robert |title=George Osborne speaks of his delight after discovering he is Jewish |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/11/george-osborne-reveals-delight-discovering-jewish/ |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=14 May 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=12 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512214322/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/11/george-osborne-reveals-delight-discovering-jewish/ |archive-date=12 May 2018 }}</ref> artist [[Clarisse Loxton-Peacock]] (''née'' Fehér).<ref name="ReferenceA" /><ref name="Charles Mosley 2003">Charles Mosley, editor, ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage'', 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 2, page 1989.</ref> He is the eldest of four boys.<ref name="Guardian_08_10_09" /> He decided when he was 13 to be known by the additional first name of 'George'. In an interview in July 2005, he said: "It was my small act of rebellion. I never liked it [the name 'Gideon']. When I finally told my mother she said, 'Nor do I'. So I decided to be George after my grandfather [<nowiki/>[[Sir George Francis Osborne, 16th Baronet]]], who was a [[war hero]]. Life was easier as a George; it was a straightforward name."<ref name="ReferenceA" /><ref name="auto">{{cite news |last1=Sylvester |first1=Rachel |last2=Thomson |first2=Alice |date=22 July 2005 |title=The future belongs to us, predicts Tory party's young star |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1494588/The-future-belongs-to-us-predicts-Tory-partys-young-star.html |url-status=live |access-date=23 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212180600/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1494588/The-future-belongs-to-us-predicts-Tory-partys-young-star.html |archive-date=12 December 2009 |author-link=Rachel Sylvester}}</ref><ref name="whoswho">{{Who's Who|title=Osborne, Rt Hon. George (Gideon Oliver)|id=U41779|year=2015|edition=online [[Oxford University Press]]|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U41779|author=Anon}}</ref> Osborne is to inherit his father's [[baronetcy]]; he would thus become Sir George Osborne, 18th Baronet.<ref name="Guardian_08_10_09" />

Osborne was educated at [[Private schools in the United Kingdom|private]] schools: [[Norland Place School]], [[Colet Court]] and [[St Paul's School, London|St Paul's School]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23583566-st-pauls-school-in-150m-rebuild.do |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120703155004/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23583566-st-pauls-school-in-150m-rebuild.do |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 July 2012 |title=St Paul's School in £150m rebuild |newspaper=London Evening Standard |first=Tim |last=Ross |date=7 November 2008 |access-date=10 January 2010 }}</ref> In 1990 he started his undergraduate study at the [[University of Oxford]] where he was awarded a [[demyship]] at [[Magdalen College, Oxford]],<ref name="ReferenceA" /> and in 1993, he received an [[British undergraduate degree classification|upper second class]] (2:1) [[bachelor's degree]] in [[Modern History]].<ref name=Guardian_08_10_09 /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/news/george-osborne-visits-magdalen/|title=George Osborne Visits Magdalen – Magdalen College Oxford|access-date=10 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930102426/http://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/news/george-osborne-visits-magdalen/|archive-date=30 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Whilst there, he was a member of the [[Bullingdon Club]], an exclusive and controversial drinking society.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Day|first1=Elizabeth|title=George Osborne and the Bullingdon club: what the chancellor saw|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/oct/01/george-osborne-bullingdon-club-chancellor|access-date=25 October 2015|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=1 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113234633/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/oct/01/george-osborne-bullingdon-club-chancellor|archive-date=13 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> He also attended [[Davidson College]] in [[North Carolina]] for a semester, as a [[Dean Rusk]] Scholar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://daybook.davidson.edu/?p=1634|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712035253/http://daybook.davidson.edu/?p=1634|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 July 2010|title=Jeopardy! and Other Breaking News|work=Daybook Davidson – Davidson College|access-date=3 November 2014}}</ref>

In 1993, Osborne intended to pursue a career in journalism. He was shortlisted for, but failed to gain a place on, ''[[The Times]]''{{'}} trainee scheme; he also applied to ''[[The Economist]]'', where he was interviewed and rejected by [[Gideon Rachman]].<ref>{{cite web |last= Kuper |first= Simon |date= 7 July 2016 |title= Brexit: a coup by one set of public schoolboys against another |url= https://next.ft.com/content/f4dedd92-43c7-11e6-b22f-79eb4891c97d |website= ft.com |access-date= 8 July 2016 |archive-date= 28 October 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211028050543/https://mb.moatads.com/s/v2?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcontent%2Ff4dedd92-43c7-11e6-b22f-79eb4891c97d&pcode=financialtimesprebidheader859796398452&ord=1635397541829&jv=1598437933&callback=BrandSafetyNadoscallback_24180167 |url-status= live }}</ref> In the end, he had to settle for freelance work on the 'Peterborough' diary column in ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''.<ref name=guardian28112011>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/nov/28/real-george-osborne |title=The real George Osborne |date=28 November 2011 |website=The Guardian |access-date=8 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702205342/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/nov/28/real-george-osborne |archive-date=2 July 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> One of his Oxford friends, journalist George Bridges, alerted Osborne some time later to a research vacancy at [[Conservative Central Office]].<ref name=guardian28112011 />

== Early political career ==
Osborne joined the [[Conservative Research Department]] in 1994, and became head of its Political Section. One of his first roles was to go to [[Blackpool]] and observe the October 1994 [[Labour Party Conference]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/nov/28/real-george-osborne The real George Osborne] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107173809/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/nov/28/real-george-osborne |date=7 January 2017 }}. Andy Beckett. ''The Guardian''. 28 November 2011.</ref>

Between 1995 and 1997 he worked as a [[Special advisers (UK government)|special adviser]] to [[Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom)|Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food]] [[Douglas Hogg]] (during the [[Bovine spongiform encephalopathy|BSE]] crisis), and in the [[Prime Minister's Office (United Kingdom)|Political Office at 10 Downing Street]]. Osborne worked on Prime Minister [[John Major]]'s campaign team in 1997, in the run-up to the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|Tories' heavy election defeat that year]].<ref name="FTprofile">{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/64902ee6-7baa-11dd-b839-000077b07658 |title=Profile: George Osborne |last=Eaglesham |first=Jean |date=6 September 2008 |work=Financial Times |access-date=22 March 2017 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> After the election, he again considered journalism, approaching ''[[The Times]]'' to be a leader writer, though nothing came of it.

Between 1997 and 2001 he worked for [[William Hague]], Major's successor as [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] leader, as a speechwriter and political secretary. He helped to prepare Hague for the weekly session of [[Prime Minister's Questions]],<ref name="FTprofile" /> often playing the role of Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]]. Under the subsequent leaderships of [[Michael Howard]] and [[David Cameron]], he remained on the Prime Minister's Questions team.

== Member of Parliament ==
Osborne was elected as the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Tatton (UK Parliament constituency)|Tatton]], Cheshire, at the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|June 2001 election]]. He succeeded [[Independent (politician)|Independent]] MP [[Martin Bell]], who had defeated the controversial former Conservative minister [[Neil Hamilton (politician)|Neil Hamilton]] in [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997]] but had kept his promise not to stand there at the following election. Osborne won with a majority of 8,611 over the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] candidate, becoming (at that time) the youngest Conservative MP in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]. At [[2005 United Kingdom general election|the 2005 election]] he was re-elected with an increased majority of 11,731 (securing 51.8% of the vote), and [[2010 United Kingdom general election|in 2010]] increased his majority still further to 14,487.

== Shadow Chancellor (2005–2010) ==
[[File:George Osborne.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Osborne speaking at a podium, gesturing with his hands.|Osborne at Conservative Spring Forum 2006 in Manchester]]

He was appointed in September 2004 by then Conservative leader Michael Howard to the [[Shadow Cabinet]], as [[Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury]].

Following the 2005 general election, Howard promoted him to [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer]] at the young age of 33. Howard had initially offered the post to William Hague, who turned it down. Press reports suggest that the second choice for the post was David Cameron, who also rejected the job, preferring to take on a major public service portfolio (he was made [[Shadow Secretary of State for Education]]). Thus, Howard seems to have turned to Osborne as his third choice for the role.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hague rejects post of shadow chancellor |newspaper=The Guardian |date=12 May 2005 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/may/12/conservatives.whitehall |access-date=4 May 2008 |first=Nicholas |last=Watt |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216150918/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/may/12/conservatives.whitehall |archive-date=16 December 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> His promotion prompted speculation he would run for the leadership of the Conservative Party when Howard stepped down, but he ruled himself out within a week.<ref name="Leader">{{cite news |title=Osborne will not enter Tory race |work=BBC News |date=20 May 2005 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4564605.stm |access-date=22 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221232244/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4564605.stm |archive-date=21 February 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref> Osborne served as [[campaign manager]] for David Cameron's [[2005 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election|leadership campaign]], and kept the Shadow Chancellor's post when Cameron became leader later that year.

When David Cameron was asked in 2009 whether or not he would be willing to sack a close colleague such as Osborne, he stated, "With George, the answer is yes. He stayed in my shadow cabinet not because he is a friend, not because we are [[Godparent|godfathers]] to each other's children but because he is the right person to do the job. I know and he knows that if that was not the case he would not be there."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23765406-david-cameron-would-i-sack-george-osborne-yes-absolutely-if-i-have-to.do |title=David Cameron: Would I sack George Osborne? Yes absolutely if I have to... |first=Geordie |last=Greig |date=6 November 2009 |newspaper=London Evening Standard |access-date=6 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091108022459/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23765406-david-cameron-would-i-sack-george-osborne-yes-absolutely-if-i-have-to.do |archive-date=8 November 2009 }}</ref>

At this time Osborne expressed an interest in the ideas of "tax simplification" (including the idea of [[flat tax]]). He set up a "Tax Reform Commission" in October 2005 to investigate ideas for how to create a "flatter, simpler" tax system. The system then proposed would reduce the [[UK income tax|income tax]] rate to a flat 22%, and increase the personal allowance from £4,435 to between £10,000 and £15,500. However, the idea of a flat tax was not included in the 2010 Conservative Party manifesto.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4325866.stm |title=Flat tax inventor turns critic |date=10 October 2005 |work=BBC News |access-date=16 April 2010 |first=Steve |last=Schifferes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060824163336/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4325866.stm |archive-date=24 August 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Comments on Gordon Brown ===
During Osborne's response to the [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] [[Gordon Brown]]'s ''Pre-Budget Report'' on 5 December 2005, he accused Brown of being "a Chancellor past his sell-by-date, a Chancellor holding Britain back". In an interview the same week, he also referred to Brown as "brutal" and "unpleasant".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3dbad21e-6378-11da-be11-0000779e2340.html |title=Shadow chancellor attacks 'brutal' Brown |first=Cathy |last=Newman |work=Financial Times |date=2 December 2005 |access-date=19 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051205015444/http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3dbad21e-6378-11da-be11-0000779e2340.html |archive-date=5 December 2005 |url-status=live }}</ref> Osborne was rebuked in October 2006 by [[Michael Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn|Michael Martin]], the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]], when he attacked the Chancellor at Oral Questions by citing a comment attributed to the [[Secretary of State for Work and Pensions]] [[John Hutton, Baron Hutton of Furness|John Hutton]], describing the Chancellor as likely to make an "effing awful" Prime Minister.<ref name="Hansard20061026">{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm061026/debtext/61026-0001.htm#06102646000012 |title=Treasury questions |work=[[Hansard]] : Column 1637 |date=26 October 2006 |access-date=19 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203131208/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm061026/debtext/61026-0001.htm#06102646000012 |archive-date=3 February 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was widely suggested that Osborne was leading an assault on Brown that would allow the Conservatives to discredit him without damaging David Cameron's public image.<ref name="Hansard20061026" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/derek_draper/2006/08/camerons_boot_boys.html |title=Cameron's boot boys |first=Derek |last=Draper |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=21 August 2006 |access-date=19 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203065448/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/derek_draper/2006/08/camerons_boot_boys.html |archive-date=3 February 2008 |url-status=dead |author-link=Derek Draper }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article745905.ece |title=New era will begin with attack on Brown's record |first=Philip |last=Webster |work=The Times |location=London |date=5 December 2005 |access-date=19 November 2007 |archive-date=28 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028050651/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/methode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F43c352a4-3741-11ec-8ef4-8e6db1a4b82a.jpg?crop=3889%2C2187%2C1084%2C686&resize=320 |url-status=dead }}</ref> That month, Osborne faced criticism from some quarters for appearing to suggest that Brown was "faintly autistic". After Osborne spoke in an interview about his own ability to recall odd facts, a host suggested to him that he may have been "faintly autistic"; he responded by saying that "We're not getting onto Gordon Brown yet".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/5399072.stm |title=Osborne's Autism Jibe Criticised |work=BBC News |date=2 October 2006 |access-date=31 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303110526/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5399072.stm |archive-date=3 March 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Pledge to match Labour spending ===
In September 2007, ahead of the publication of the [[2007 Comprehensive Spending Review]], Osborne pledged that the Conservative Party would match Labour's public spending plans for the next three years.<ref name=matchlabour>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6975536.stm |title=Tories 'to match Labour spending' |work=BBC News |date=3 September 2007 |access-date=17 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830230905/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6975536.stm |archive-date=30 August 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> He promised increases in public spending of 2% a year,<ref name=matchlabour /> and said Labour charges that the Conservatives would cut public spending were "a pack of lies".<ref name=nextthree>{{cite news |url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2007/09/tories-will-mat.html |title=Tories will match Labour's public spending for next three years |work=Conservative Home |date=3 September 2007 |access-date=17 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421062754/http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2007/09/tories-will-mat.html |archive-date=21 April 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> He also ruled out any "upfront, unfunded tax cuts".<ref name=nextthree />

=== Deripaska claim ===
Osborne's school and university contemporary, financier [[Nathaniel Rothschild, 5th Baron Rothschild|Nathaniel Rothschild]], said in October 2008 that Osborne had tried to solicit a £50,000 donation from the Russian aluminium magnate [[Oleg Deripaska]], which would have been a violation of the law against political donations by foreign citizens.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-the-flawed-judgement-of-a-shadow-chancellor-968549.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723091059/http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-the-flawed-judgement-of-a-shadow-chancellor-968549.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 July 2010 |title=Leading article: ''Flawed judgement of a Shadow Chancellor'' |date=22 October 2008 |work=The Independent |location=London |access-date=23 November 2009 }}</ref><ref name="Times2008-10-23">{{cite news |last1 = Elliott |first1 = Francis |first2 = David |last2=Robertson |title = Nathaniel Rothschild: the solid financier reverted to type? |newspaper = [[The Times]] |date = 23 October 2008 |url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4996488.ece |access-date = 30 October 2010 |location = London |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718125748/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4996488.ece |archive-date = 18 July 2011 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Rothschild had hosted Deripaska, Osborne, [[Peter Mandelson]] and others at a party in his villa in [[Corfu]]. The alleged solicitation of a donation occurred on Deripaska's yacht during the party.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/billionaires-2009-richest-people_Oleg-Deripaska_UCP9.html |work=Forbes |title=#164 Oleg Deripaska – The World's Billionaires 2009 |date=11 March 2009 |access-date=28 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001061251/http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/billionaires-2009-richest-people_Oleg-Deripaska_UCP9.html |archive-date=1 October 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Tele yacht">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/matthewd_ancona/3563042/Doesnt-Yachtgate-give-you-that-sinking-feeling.html |title=Doesn't 'Yachtgate' give you that sinking feeling? |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=26 October 2008 |access-date=23 March 2016 |first=Matthew |last=d'Ancona |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083042/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/matthewd_ancona/3563042/Doesnt-Yachtgate-give-you-that-sinking-feeling.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)|Electoral Commission]] received a formal complaint initiated in a letter by the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]' [[Liberal Democrat frontbench team|Home Affairs spokesperson]], [[Chris Huhne]], urging them to investigate the allegations against Osborne. The Commission rejected the claims and said it saw "no information" suggesting an offence.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7686789.stm Huhne donor probe call rejected] . ''BBC News''. 23 October 2008.</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/20120629144751/http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Corfu-Row-Lib-Dem-Chris-Huhne-Calls-For-Investigation-of-George-Osborne/Article/200810415126884?lpos=Politics_Carousel_Region_1&lid=ARTICLE_15126884_Corfu_Row:_Lib_Dem_Chris_Huhne_Calls_For_Investigation_of_George_Osborne Huhne calls for Investigation of George Osborne]. [[Sky News]]. 23 October 2008.</ref> The accusation was referred to by the press as 'Yachtgate'.<ref name="Tele yacht" /> Osborne denied claims he had attempted to solicit a donation from Deripaska and said that he had "made a mistake" by meeting with him.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7730803.stm |title=Osborne fears sterling collapse |work=BBC News |date=15 November 2008 |access-date=28 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216064608/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7730803.stm |archive-date=16 February 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== "Run on the pound" ===
On 14 November 2008, in an intervention described by the BBC's [[Nick Robinson (journalist)|Nick Robinson]] as "pretty extraordinary",<ref name="Sterling">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7730803.stm |title=Osborne fears sterling collapse |date=15 November 2008 |work=BBC News |access-date=15 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223150308/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7730803.stm |archive-date=23 December 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> Osborne publicly warned that the more the government borrows, the less attractive [[Pound sterling|sterling]] becomes to hold. He said: "We are in danger, if the government is not careful, of having a proper sterling collapse, a run on the pound." Labelling Gordon Brown's tactic a "scorched-earth policy" that a future Conservative government would have to clear up, Osborne continued: "His view is he probably won't win the next election. The Tories can clear this mess up after I've gone."<ref name="Sterling" />

=== Expenses ===
In 2009 and 2012 Osborne was criticised for his expense claims, in particular for the claims for mortgage interest payments on his Cheshire properties.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6474725.ece |title=George Osborne 'flipped' second home to claim for £450,000 loan |access-date=11 June 2009 |work=The Times |location=London |first=David |last=Brown |date=11 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805121050/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6474725.ece |archive-date=5 August 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Tele flipped">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/georgeosborne/9729139/George-Osborne-bought-paddock-with-taxpayers-money.html |title=George Osborne bought paddock with taxpayer's money |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=7 December 2012 |access-date=22 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330044518/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/georgeosborne/9729139/George-Osborne-bought-paddock-with-taxpayers-money.html |archive-date=30 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian paddock">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/dec/07/taxpayers-paid-george-osborne-paddock-mortgage |title=George Osborne's mortgage on paddock paid by taxpayers |work=The Guardian |date=7 December 2012 |access-date=23 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404110252/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/dec/07/taxpayers-paid-george-osborne-paddock-mortgage |archive-date=4 April 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Osborne had funded the purchase of a country farmhouse and adjoining paddock in Cheshire before he became an MP in 2001 by way of a £455,000 extension of the mortgage on his London home. In 2003 he substituted a new £450,000 mortgage on the Cheshire property, which he then designated as his second home, or "flipped". As a result, he was able to claim up to £100,000 in mortgage interest on the house and paddock between 2003 and 2010, when the regulations changed.<ref name="Tele flipped" /><ref name="Guardian paddock" /><ref name="BBC ins and outs">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7840678.stm |title=Q&A: MP expenses row explained |work=BBC News |date=18 June 2009 |access-date=23 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904103344/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7840678.stm |archive-date=4 September 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2012 it was revealed that the paddock had been legally separate from the farmhouse.<ref name="Guardian paddock" /><ref name="Indie paddock">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/george-osborne-in-expense-claim-for-paddock-8393737.html |title=George Osborne in expense claim for paddock |work=The Independent |date=7 December 2012 |access-date=23 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404131920/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/george-osborne-in-expense-claim-for-paddock-8393737.html |archive-date=4 April 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Liberal Democrats said he had a "moral obligation" to pay an estimated £55,000 in [[capital gains tax]] to the public purse which he had saved through the designation or "flipping" of his London property as his main home.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5526823/MPs-expenses-George-Osborne-must-be-made-to-pay-say-Lib-Dems.html |title=MPs' expenses: George Osborne 'must be made to pay' say Lib Dems |access-date=13 June 2009 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |first1=Melissa |last1=Kite |date=13 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616194221/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5526823/MPs-expenses-George-Osborne-must-be-made-to-pay-say-Lib-Dems.html |archive-date=16 June 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> He had previously paid back £1,193 spent on [[chauffeur]] fares and overpayments on his mortgage<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5581534/MPs-expenses-The-table-of-paybacks.html|title=MPs' expenses: The table of paybacks|access-date=18 June 2009|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=20 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090623070740/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5581534/MPs-expenses-The-table-of-paybacks.html|archive-date=23 June 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> after a complaint from a Labour activist, and it also emerged that he had claimed £47 for two copies of a DVD of his own speech on "value for taxpayers' money".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news/4446313.Osborne_claimed___47_for_DVDs_of_his_speech_on__value_for_taxpayers__money_/|title=Tatton MP George Osborne claimed £47 expenses for DVDs of his speech on 'value for taxpayers' money|work=Knutsford Guardian |date=18 June 2009 |access-date=18 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723032604/http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news/4446313.Osborne_claimed___47_for_DVDs_of_his_speech_on__value_for_taxpayers__money_/|archive-date=23 July 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The report of the [[Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards]] found that although Osborne had breached the rules, the offence was "unintended and relatively minor". Osborne said he had received "flawed" advice and not benefited personally.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8466921.stm|title=Osborne agrees to repay £1,936 after expenses breach|access-date=21 January 2010|work=BBC News|date=21 January 2010|archive-date=28 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028050547/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8466921.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2010 general election campaign ===
During the 2010 general election campaign Osborne was considered to have been sidelined, owing to his perceived unpopularity and the perception by both Liberal Democrat and Labour strategists that he was a "weak link".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/apr/07/general-election-2010-georgeosborne |title='Where's George Osborne? I'm curious' |access-date=28 April 2009 |work=The Guardian |first=Stephen |last=Tall |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219131250/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/apr/07/general-election-2010-georgeosborne |archive-date=19 December 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Chancellor of the Exchequer (2010–2016) ==
{{Main|Chancellorship of George Osborne}}
Osborne was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer on 11 May 2010, and was sworn in as a [[Privy Counsellor]] two days later.<ref name="pc-13may2010">{{cite web|url=http://www.privy-council.org.uk/files/other/13th%20May2010%20List.doc |title=Privy Council Orders |date=13 May 2010 |publisher=Privy Council |access-date=26 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611044054/http://www.privy-council.org.uk/files/other/13th%20May2010%20List.doc |archive-date=11 June 2011 }}</ref> On 4 October 2010, in a speech at the Conservative conference in [[Birmingham]], Osborne announced a [[benefit cap|cap on the overall amount of benefits]] a family can receive from the state, estimated to be around £500 a week from 2013. He also announced that he would end the universal entitlement to [[child benefit]], and that from 2013 the entitlement would be removed from people paying the 40% and 50% income tax rates.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/oct/04/george-osborne-cap-welfare-payments |title=George Osborne to cap welfare payments |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=4 October 2010 |access-date=4 October 2010 |first=Helene |last=Mulholland |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219131906/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/oct/04/george-osborne-cap-welfare-payments |archive-date=19 December 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In February 2011 Osborne announced [[Project Merlin]], whereby banks aimed to lend about £190&nbsp;billion to businesses in 2011, curb bonuses and reveal some salary details of their top earners; meanwhile, the bank levy would increase by £800&nbsp;million. Osborne's 2011 [[Autumn Statement]] was delivered to Parliament on 29 November 2011. It included a programme of [[aggregate supply#Policy interventions|supply-side economic reforms]] such as investments in infrastructure intended to support economic growth.<ref>H M Treasury, [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/autumn-statement-2011--3 Press Release: Autumn Statement 2011], published 29 November 2011, accessed 17 August 2022</ref>

In 2012, Osborne cut the 50% income tax rate on top earners and figures from [[Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs]] showed that the amount of additional-rate tax paid had increased under the new rate from £38&nbsp;billion in 2012/13 to £46&nbsp;billion in 2013/14, which Osborne said was caused by the new rate being more "competitive", however HMRC predictions in March 2012 predicted that around £6.25&nbsp;billion in tax revenue would be delayed from 2012/13 to 2013/14 due to the expected lower tax rate, possibly explaining much of the increased revenue, and that the change would cost around £2.4&nbsp;billion in 2012, however this cost would decrease and was expected to be nullified by 2016/17.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politicshome.com/economy-and-work/articles/story/cut-top-rate-tax-helped-raise-extra-%C2%A38bn-osborne-claims |title=Cut to top rate of tax helped raise an extra £8bn, Osborne claims |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302104311/https://www.politicshome.com/economy-and-work/articles/story/cut-top-rate-tax-helped-raise-extra-%C2%A38bn-osborne-claims |archive-date=2 March 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Exchequer effect of the 50 per cent additional rate of income tax |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20130129110402/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/excheq-income-tax-2042.pdf |access-date=19 April 2023 |website=webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk}}</ref> In October 2012, Osborne proposed a new policy to boost the hiring of staff, under which companies would be able to give new appointees [[stock|shares]] worth between £2,000 and £50,000, but the appointees would lose the right to claim [[unfair dismissal]] and time off for training.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/george-osborne-workers-of-the-world-unite-and-give-up-your-rights-8202144.html|title=George Osborne: Workers of the world unite... and give up your rights|work=London Evening Standard|date=8 October 2012|first=Joe|last=Murphy|access-date=2 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320151419/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/george-osborne-workers-of-the-world-unite-and-give-up-your-rights-8202144.html|archive-date=20 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/oct/08/george-osborne-employee-shares-for-rights|title=George Osborne's 'employee shares for rights' proposal draws scepticism|work=The Guardian|date=8 October 2012|first1=Mark |last1=King|first2=Hilary |last2=Osborne|access-date=11 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202135524/https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/oct/08/george-osborne-employee-shares-for-rights|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2013, the UK lost its AAA credit rating—which Osborne had indicated to be a priority when coming to power—for the first time since 1978.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21557243|title=UK's credit rating cut humiliating, Labour says|work=BBC News|access-date=3 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021090202/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21557243|archive-date=21 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> His March 2013 budget was made when the Office for Budget Responsibility had halved its forecast for that year's economic growth from 1.2% to 0.6%.<ref>{{cite news|title=Budget 2013: Economic growth forecast for 2013 halved|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21861322|access-date=22 March 2016|work=BBC News|date=20 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204203012/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21861322|archive-date=4 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Osborne announced on 16 May that he would deliver a [[July 2015 United Kingdom budget|second Budget on 8 July]], and promised action on [[tax avoidance]] by the rich by bringing in a "[[Google tax]]" designed to discourage large companies diverting profits out of the UK to avoid tax.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31942639 |work=BBC News |title=Budget 2015: 'Google Tax' introduction confirmed |date=18 March 2015 |access-date=20 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923175247/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31942639 |archive-date=23 September 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> The second Budget also increased funding for the [[National Health Service]], more apprenticeships, efforts to increase productivity and cuts to the welfare budget.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32761566|title=George Osborne plans new Budget on 8 July|work=BBC News|date=16 May 2015|access-date=17 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150517021414/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32761566|archive-date=17 May 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The July budget postponed the predicted arrival of a UK surplus from 2019 to 2020, and included an extra £18&nbsp;billion more borrowing for 2016–20 than planned for the same period in March.<ref name="liam">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11733758/George-Osbornes-savvy-display-lacked-tough-fiscal-action.html|title=George Osborne's savvy display lacked tough fiscal action|first=Liam |last=Halligan|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=11 July 2015|access-date=12 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716100208/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11733758/George-Osbornes-savvy-display-lacked-tough-fiscal-action.html|archive-date=16 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

In Osborne's [[2016 United Kingdom budget|2016 budget]] he introduced a sugar tax and raised the tax-free allowance for income tax to £11,500, as well as lifting the 40% income tax threshold to £45,000.<ref name="budgetpoints">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35819797|title=Budget 2016 summary: Key points at-a-glance|access-date=20 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927140601/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35819797|archive-date=27 September 2018|url-status=live|work=BBC News|date=16 March 2016}}</ref> According to ''The Guardian'', Osborne was "the driving force" behind the BBC licence fee agreement which saw the BBC responsible for funding the £700&nbsp;million welfare cost of free TV licences for the over-75s, meaning that it lost almost 20% of its income.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/06/osborne-slashes-bbc-budget-pay-over-75s-tv-licences|title=George Osborne forces BBC to pay for over-75s' TV licences|first1=Jane |last1=Martinson |first2=John |last2=Plunkett|work=Guardian Newspapers|date=6 July 2015|access-date=19 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218174457/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/06/osborne-slashes-bbc-budget-pay-over-75s-tv-licences|archive-date=18 December 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Guardian'' also noted Osborne's four meetings with [[News Corp]] representatives and two meetings with [[Rupert Murdoch]] before the deal was announced.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/dec/18/george-osborne-rupert-murdoch-bbc-cuts-news-corp|title=George Osborne met Rupert Murdoch twice before imposing BBC cuts|first1=Jasper |last1=Jackson |first2=Jane |last2=Martinson|work=Guardian Newspapers|date=18 December 2015|access-date=19 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218174457/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/dec/18/george-osborne-rupert-murdoch-bbc-cuts-news-corp|archive-date=18 December 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the UK's vote to leave the [[European Union]] in June 2016, Osborne pledged to further lower corporation tax to "encourage businesses to continue investing in the UK". Osborne had already cut the corporation tax rate from 28% to 20%, with plans to lower it to 17% by 2020.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36699642 |title=Brexit: George Osborne pledges to cut corporation tax |access-date=3 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831092504/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36699642 |archive-date=31 August 2018 |url-status=live |work=BBC News |date=4 July 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/09/11/chancellor-dismantles-key-osborne-pledge-to-cut-corporation-tax/ |title=Chancellor dismantles key Osborne pledge to cut corporation tax |access-date=3 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703235003/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/09/11/chancellor-dismantles-key-osborne-pledge-to-cut-corporation-tax/ |archive-date=3 July 2018 |url-status=live |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=11 September 2016 |last1=Chan |first1=Szu Ping }}</ref>

=== Reception ===
Osborne's chancellorship has been subject to much critical assessment. His austerity measures are generally now viewed as having failed to reduce unemployment, lower interest rates, or stimulate growth. Extensive cuts in his 2010 budget to benefits, meant to force beneficiaries into work, have been linked to a steep rise in inequality.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schui |first=Florian |date=28 May 2014 |title=The lie at the heart of austerity just makes inequality worse |url=http://theconversation.com/the-lie-at-the-heart-of-austerity-just-makes-inequality-worse-27138 |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=The Conversation }}</ref> While the [[Gini coefficient]] for disposable income in 2011–12 fell to 32.3 per cent, the lowest level since 1986, it quickly rose again.<ref>{{cite web |last=Eaton |first=George |date=26 June 2014 |title=Inequality is on the up again – Osborne's boast is over |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/business/economics/2014/06/inequality-again-osbornes-boast-over |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=New Statesman }}</ref> Reviewing his performance in July 2016, ''[[The Guardian]]'' said that the UK still had a budget deficit of 4%, a balance-of-payments (trade) deficit of 7% of GDP, and (apart from Italy) the worst productivity among the [[G7]] nations.<ref>{{cite news |first=Larry |last=Elliott |date=17 July 2016 |title=The fragile UK economy has a chance to abandon failed policies post-Brexit |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/17/uk-economy-brexit-failed-economic-policies |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160726222934/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/17/uk-economy-brexit-failed-economic-policies |archive-date=26 July 2016 |access-date=24 July 2016 |work=Guardian newspapers}}</ref> An [[Office for National Statistics]] graph including the period 2010–2016 shows a worsening balance-of-trade deficit.<ref>{{cite web |date=30 June 2016 |title=Source dataset: Balance of Payments time series dataset (PNBP) |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/timeseries/hbop/pnbp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911215411/http://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/timeseries/hbop/pnbp |archive-date=11 September 2016 |access-date=3 September 2016 |work=Office for National Statistics}}</ref> One study by the Progressive Economy Forum assessed that the United Kingdom lost  £540 billion in public spending since George Osborne initiated austerity measures. The study claimed Osborne could have "maintained historic rates of growth in public spending and still have reduced Britain's government debt burden by 2019".<ref>{{cite web |title=The Macroeconomics of Austerity • The Progressive Economy Forum |url=https://progressiveeconomyforum.com/publications/the-macroeconomics-of-austerity/ |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=The Progressive Economy Forum }}</ref> Another by the [[New Economics Foundation]] claimed austerity had shrunk the British economy by £100 billion by 2019, due to its slower growth in every year since 2010.<ref>{{cite news |last=Elliott |first=Larry |date=21 February 2019 |title=UK economy £100bn smaller because of austerity – thinktank |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/21/uk-economy-100bn-smaller-because-of-austerity-thinktank |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) issued a report in 2019 claiming that austerity was linked to 130,000 preventable deaths since 2012.<ref>{{cite news |last=Helm |first=Toby |date=1 June 2019 |title=Austerity to blame for 130,000 'preventable' UK deaths – report |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/01/perfect-storm-austerity-behind-130000-deaths-uk-ippr-report |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=The Observer |issn=0029-7712}}</ref> That was the year of the [[2012 United Kingdom budget]]– dubbed the "omnishambles budget" by the then Labour leader [[Ed Miliband]] – viewed as the nadir of Osborne's political fortunes.<ref name="reinvention2">{{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=George |date=6 March 2015 |title=The reinvention of George Osborne |url=https://www.ft.com/content/d1d65690-c2ae-11e4-a59c-00144feab7de |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402161221/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d1d65690-c2ae-11e4-a59c-00144feab7de.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date=28 March 2015 |work=Financial Times}}</ref><ref name="faithful2">{{cite news |last1=Grice |first1=Andrew |date=29 September 2014 |title=Analysis: George Osborne inspired the Tory faithful, but will he ever be leader? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/analysis-george-osborne-inspired-the-tory-faithful-but-will-he-ever-be-leader-9763459.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402111226/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/analysis-george-osborne-inspired-the-tory-faithful-but-will-he-ever-be-leader-9763459.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date=28 March 2015 |newspaper=Independent}}</ref> Osborne reduced taxation for the wealthy, cutting the 50% income tax rate on top earners – which he said had been specially designated by his predecessor as "temporary" – to 45%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cut to top rate of tax helped raise an extra £8bn, Osborne claims |url=https://www.politicshome.com/economy-and-work/articles/story/cut-top-rate-tax-helped-raise-extra-%C2%A38bn-osborne-claims |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302104311/https://www.politicshome.com/economy-and-work/articles/story/cut-top-rate-tax-helped-raise-extra-%C2%A38bn-osborne-claims |archive-date=2 March 2016}}</ref>

Overall, Osborne's policies have been linked to worsened [[Poverty in the United Kingdom|inequality and poverty]], a rise in [[Timeline of Brexit|political instability]], and, allegedly, the decline of the [[NHS]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Toynbee |first=Polly |date=1 June 2023 |title=George Osborne destroyed Britain's safety net. The Covid inquiry should shame him into silence |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/01/covid-inquiry-economic-austerity-george-osborne |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Editorial |date=20 June 2023 |title=The Guardian view on David Cameron and George Osborne: a duo's dangerous delusions |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/20/the-guardian-view-on-david-cameron-and-george-osborne-a-duos-dangerous-delusions |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=COVID inquiry: George Osborne rejects claims his austerity programme left NHS in 'parlous state' ahead of pandemic |url=https://news.sky.com/story/covid-inquiry-george-osborne-rejects-claims-his-austerity-programme-left-nhs-in-parlous-state-ahead-of-pandemic-12906273 |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=Sky News }}</ref> After polling in 2012 revealed Osborne to be the least popular member of parliament,<ref>{{cite news |last=Watt |first=Nicholas  |date=2012-08-28 |title=George Osborne is liability to Tories, poll reveals |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/aug/27/george-osborne-liability-tories-poll-reveals |access-date=2024-07-04 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> he was loudly booed by the crowd while presenting medals at the London Paralympics.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpTkorjVcg4 |title=2012 Paralympics George Osborne gets Booed |date=2012-09-03 |last=SCIPHER |access-date=2024-07-04 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Addley |first=Esther |date=2024-07-04 |title=Did that really happen? 14 years of chaotic Tory government |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2024/jul/04/did-that-really-happen-14-years-of-chaotic-tory-government |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> In 2023, the magazine ''[[Prospect (magazine)|Prospect]]'' also described Osborne as the "architect of austerity" and described him as the worst chancellor in postwar British history, second perhaps only to [[Kwasi Kwarteng]] (who served 38 days).<ref>{{cite web |last=Mullin |first=Chris |title=Was George Osborne the worst chancellor ever? |url=https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/62132/was-george-osborne-the-worst-chancellor-ever |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=www.prospectmagazine.co.uk }}</ref>

== Political views ==
[[File:George Osborne in China.jpg|thumb|Osborne at an official visit to China in October 2013]]
The ''[[Financial Times]]'' describes Osborne as "metropolitan and socially liberal. He is hawkish on foreign policy with links to Washington [[neo-conservatives]] and ideologically committed to cutting the state. A pragmatic [[Eurosceptic]]".<ref>[https://www.ft.com/content/19dff8ce-2089-11df-bf2d-00144feab49a A Conservative Who's Who] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510014817/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/19dff8ce-2089-11df-bf2d-00144feab49a.html |date=10 May 2010 }} ''Financial Times''. com</ref> There is evidence of this commitment to cutting the state in his party's [[manifesto]], with Osborne and the Conservatives seeking to cut the deficit "faster and deeper" than any other main party as well as committing to various [[tax cuts]] such as [[inheritance tax]] and [[national insurance]]. According to an [[Institute for Fiscal Studies|IFS]] report before the 2010 general election,<ref>[http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/general-election-2010-parties-misleading-voters-over-deficit-warns-think-tank-ifs-tele-6015a50cb1a6.html?x=0 General Election 2010: Parties misleading voters over deficit, warns think tank IFS]{{dead link|date=February 2017}}. Yahoo!! Finance. 27 April 2010.</ref> the Conservatives needed to find more money from cuts beyond what they had outlined than any other major party, although the report was also critical of Labour and the Liberal Democrats. He has stated that the British economy must diversify away from London following the 2008 banking crisis, most notably in the form of the [[Northern Powerhouse]] policy proposals which aim to improve transport links and boost science and technology investment in the cities of the North in order to increase economic output.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/chancellor-we-need-a-northern-powerhouse|title=Chancellor: 'We need a Northern powerhouse'|date=23 June 2014|work=gov.uk|access-date=22 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501080655/https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/chancellor-we-need-a-northern-powerhouse|archive-date=1 May 2015|url-status=live|first=George|last=Osborne|quote="We need a Northern Powerhouse too. Not one city, but a collection of northern cities – sufficiently close to each other that combined they can take on the world"}}</ref>

After previously drawing parallels between Ed Miliband's economic views and those of [[Karl Marx]] in ''[[Das Kapital]]'', in a 2017 interview with former Treasury colleague [[Jim O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Gatley|Lord O'Neill]], Osborne said Marx's [[Immiseration thesis|thesis]] in ''Das Kapital'' that capitalists would take an increasing share of wealth from the proceeds of economic production at the expense of workers could be argued as an accurate description of something that appeared to be occurring under the process of [[globalization]], arguing that there was a need to "democratise capital" and ensure "that people have more capital in capitalism", such as larger pensions and more opportunities for savings and home and share ownership.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/news/george-osborne-says-karl-marx-may-have-been-right-about-globalisation|title=George Osborne says Karl Marx may have been right about globalisation|last=Singleton|first=David|date=6 January 2017|website=[[Total Politics]]|access-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209203101/https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/news/george-osborne-says-karl-marx-may-have-been-right-about-globalisation|archive-date=9 February 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Brexit===
At the time of the 2016 referendum Osborne was prominently in favour of the UK remaining in the EU.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/statement-by-the-chancellor-following-the-eu-referendum|title=Statement by the Chancellor following the EU referendum|date=27 June 2016|website=GOV.UK|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-46039623|title=George Osborne 'regrets' mistakes that led to Brexit vote|date=31 October 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref>

== Political relationships ==
Whilst David Cameron was prime minister, Osborne was widely viewed as a potential future leader of the Conservatives were Cameron to stand down and trigger a leadership contest, despite being seen as a relatively unpopular figure with the general public.<ref name="reinvention" /><ref name="faithful">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/analysis-george-osborne-inspired-the-tory-faithful-but-will-he-ever-be-leader-9763459.html|title=Analysis: George Osborne inspired the Tory faithful, but will he ever be leader?|last1=Grice|first1=Andrew|date=29 September 2014|access-date=28 March 2015|newspaper=Independent|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402111226/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/analysis-george-osborne-inspired-the-tory-faithful-but-will-he-ever-be-leader-9763459.html|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theweek.co.uk/politics/60665/osborne-may-or-johnson-who-is-winning-the-leadership-race|title=Tory leader race: Osborne's defeat boosts rival Boris|date=1 October 2014|work=The Week|access-date=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402163724/http://www.theweek.co.uk/politics/60665/osborne-may-or-johnson-who-is-winning-the-leadership-race|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Conservative MP [[Nadhim Zahawi]] suggested that the closeness of his relationship with Cameron meant the two effectively shared power in the 2010–16 government, whilst commentators pointed to Osborne's hand in Cabinet reshuffles.<ref name="reinvention" /> He worked hard on rebuilding his image after the much-criticised 2012 budget.<ref name="reinvention" />

[[Michael Deacon (journalist)|Michael Deacon]] of ''The Daily Telegraph'' has described Osborne as "the prince of the parliamentary putdown" after, during one House of Commons debate, he managed to taunt both [[Ed Balls]] and [[Norman Baker]] in one sentence.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/georgeosborne/11208432/Sketch-The-Great-British-Bakers-Off.html|title=Sketch: The Great British Baker's Off!|date=4 November 2014|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=2 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203044457/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/georgeosborne/11208432/Sketch-The-Great-British-Bakers-Off.html|archive-date=3 December 2017|url-status=live|last1=Deacon|first1=Michael}}</ref> Osborne denied rumours that he had referred to his colleague [[Iain Duncan Smith]] as "not clever enough", which were published in [[Matthew d'Ancona]]'s book ''In It Together''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/oct/01/duncan-smith-osborne-not-clever-enough-churchill-thatcher|title=Duncan Smith dismisses claim Osborne said he was 'not clever enough'|work=The Guardian|date=October 2013|access-date=3 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103230422/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/oct/01/duncan-smith-osborne-not-clever-enough-churchill-thatcher|archive-date=3 November 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 28 June 2016, Osborne ruled out standing as a candidate in [[2016 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election|that year's party leadership election]], stating he was "not the person to provide the unity" his party needed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/28/george-osborne-will-not-contest-tory-leadership|title=George Osborne will not contest Tory leadership race|last=Slawson|first=Nicola|date=28 June 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=28 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160628004159/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/28/george-osborne-will-not-contest-tory-leadership|archive-date=28 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Backbencher (2016–2017) ==
Osborne was sacked by Theresa May on 13 July 2016, following her appointment as Prime Minister. He returned to the backbenches and [[Philip Hammond]] replaced him as Chancellor.<ref>Laura Hughes, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/13/prime-minister-theresa-may-makes-new-cabinet-appointments---as-b/ Theresa May's Cabinet reshuffle: Boris Johnson appointed Foreign Secretary as George Osborne is sacked and replaced by Philip Hammond] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713190529/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/13/prime-minister-theresa-may-makes-new-cabinet-appointments---as-b/ |date=13 July 2016 }}. ''The Daily Telegraph'', 13 July 2016.</ref> It was announced on 4 August 2016 that Osborne was to be made a [[Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour]] in the [[2016 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours|Resignation Honours]] list following David Cameron's resignation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36976596|title=Osborne tops Ex-PM's honours list|date=4 August 2016|website=BBC News|access-date=4 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804180942/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36976596|archive-date=4 August 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Unlike Cameron, Osborne intended to remain an MP and stand for Parliament again in 2020, although [[Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies|proposed boundary changes]] could have led to the abolition of his Tatton constituency.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37337175|title=Boundary changes: Why UK's political map is being re-drawn|date=13 September 2016|access-date=24 December 2017|work=BBC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202213318/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37337175|archive-date=2 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2016, he launched the [[Northern Powerhouse]] Partnership, a body bringing together business leaders and politicians to promote regional devolution.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/sep/16/george-osborne-to-chair-northern-powerhouse-partnership|title=George Osborne to chair Northern Powerhouse Partnership|last=Stewart|first=Heather|date=16 September 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=21 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126092737/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/sep/16/george-osborne-to-chair-northern-powerhouse-partnership|archive-date=26 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/26483056-7fe9-11e6-8e50-8ec15fb462f4|title=Dinner with the FT: George Osborne|last=Parker|first=George|date=23 September 2016|work=Financial Times|access-date=21 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122064714/https://www.ft.com/content/26483056-7fe9-11e6-8e50-8ec15fb462f4|archive-date=22 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

By October 2016, he was writing a book called ''Age of Unreason''; it is a diatribe against "populist nationalism".<ref name="dailytelegraphsayscapitalism">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/06/george-osborne-says-capitalism-and-democracy-are-in-crisis-as-he/|title=George Osborne says capitalism and democracy are 'in crisis' as he announces new book|last1=Hughes|first1=Laura|date=6 October 2016|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=8 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007223533/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/06/george-osborne-says-capitalism-and-democracy-are-in-crisis-as-he/|archive-date=7 October 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Osborne's lucrative speaking engagements for a range of financial institutions since his dismissal as Chancellor helped make him the highest earning MP in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/george-osborne-highest-paid-richest-mp-parliament-how-much-earn-uk-politicians-a7498696.html|title=George Osborne named as highest earning MP of 2016|last=Roberts|first=Rachel|date=28 December 2016|work=The Independent|access-date=28 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722154803/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/george-osborne-highest-paid-richest-mp-parliament-how-much-earn-uk-politicians-a7498696.html|archive-date=22 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2017 he started a new role as a part-time advisor to [[BlackRock]], the world's largest fund manager, for a salary of £650,000 for a one-day a week.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38696175|title=Osborne to join investment giant BlackRock as adviser|date=20 January 2017|work=BBC News|access-date=21 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121000959/http://www.bbc.com/news/business-38696175|archive-date=21 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The job was approved by the [[Advisory Committee on Business Appointments]], which stated that during Osborne's time as Chancellor "there were no specific policy decisions ... that would have affected BlackRock", and the Permanent Secretary at the Treasury had "no concerns" about Osborne taking up the role.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=27 January 2017|title=Treasury jest|magazine=[[Private Eye]]|location=London|publisher=Pressdram Ltd}}</ref>

In 2017, Osborne became the first Kissinger Fellow at the [[McCain Institute]] for International Leadership. While the institute is based in [[John McCain]]'s home state of Arizona, Osborne remained in the UK.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/30/george-osborne-john-mccain-institute-academic-job|title=George Osborne takes up academic job at McCain Institute|last=Walker|first=Peter|date=30 January 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318193710/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/30/george-osborne-john-mccain-institute-academic-job|archive-date=18 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Osborne announced he would be standing down as MP for Tatton in April 2017, a day after the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]] was declared. He did not rule out returning to the Commons at some point. "It's still too early to be writing my memoirs", he wrote in a letter to his constituency party, adding he did not "want to spend the rest of my life just being an ex-chancellor. I want new challenges".<ref name="BBC190417">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39643347|title=George Osborne to quit as MP for Tatton at election|date=19 April 2017|access-date=19 April 2017|work=BBC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419130036/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39643347|archive-date=19 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Career after Parliament ==
=== ''Evening Standard'' editor ===
Then still an MP, Osborne was announced on 17 March 2017 as the next editor of the ''[[Evening Standard]]'', a position which he assumed on 2 May.<ref name=standappt>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/george-osborne-announced-as-new-evening-standard-editor-a3492361.html|title=George Osborne announced as new Evening Standard editor|newspaper=London Evening Standard|date=17 March 2017|access-date=4 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404221950/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/george-osborne-announced-as-new-evening-standard-editor-a3492361.html|archive-date=4 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/george-osborne-evening-standard-editor-youth-photo-co-op-man-of-people-a7709006.html|title=George Osborne supermarket photo: Former Chancellor papped as 'man of the people' posing with youths|work=The Independent|last=Roberts|first=Rachel|date=29 April 2017|access-date=10 August 2020|archive-date=29 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429172549/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/george-osborne-evening-standard-editor-youth-photo-co-op-man-of-people-a7709006.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Critics of his appointment questioned his lack of journalistic experience and his intention to remain MP for Tatton during his tenure with the newspaper, which other MPs said would constitute a conflict of interest and devalued the role of an MP.<ref name=bbcevenstand>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39304944|title=George Osborne to become paper editor|work=BBC News|date=17 March 2017|access-date=17 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317114839/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39304944|archive-date=17 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> He was also accused of breaking the post-ministerial employment rules of the [[Advisory Committee on Business Appointments]] by accepting the editorship without the committee's approval.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/18/george-osborne-accused-of-breaching-rules-with-evening-standard-job|title=George Osborne accused of breaching rules with Evening Standard job|last1=Mason|first1=Rowena|date=18 March 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 March 2017|last2=Gayle|first2=Damien|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318131238/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/18/george-osborne-accused-of-breaching-rules-with-evening-standard-job|archive-date=18 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Private Eye]]'' subsequently documented in detail the relationship between Osborne and ''Standard'' owner [[Evgeny Lebedev]], who appointed Osborne as editor. During Osborne's time as Chancellor of the Exchequer he regularly pledged Treasury money to ''Standard'' charitable campaigns, such as his offer in 2015 to match readers' donations by up to £1.5&nbsp;million to the ''Standard''{{'}}s [[Great Ormond Street Hospital]] appeal. In September 2015, the newspaper ranked Osborne in joint-first place on its annual 'Progress 1000' list of the most influential people in London. It was also highlighted that, as Chancellor, Osborne failed to tackle the advantageous tax status for so-called [[non-dom]]s, which Lebedev was understood to benefit from, while Lebedev's paper strongly supported the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] in the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]] and the Conservatives' candidate [[Zac Goldsmith]] in the [[2016 London mayoral election]].<ref>{{cite magazine |date=24 March 2017 |title=St. George lowers the Standard |magazine=[[Private Eye]] |location=London |publisher=Pressdram Ltd }}</ref>

After stepping down from politics, Osborne took on several engagements in addition to his work as editor. Among them was being named a distinguished visiting fellow at the [[Hoover Institution]] and a dean's fellow at the [[Stanford Graduate School of Business]] in September 2017. He specialised in research on international politics and the global economy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.enhancedonlinenews.com/news/eon/20170920005096/en|title=Former British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne Joins Stanford's Hoover Institution and Graduate School of Business|work=Enhanced Online News|date=20 September 2017|access-date=23 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924103948/http://www.enhancedonlinenews.com/news/eon/20170920005096/en|archive-date=24 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> He continued to advise the asset manager [[BlackRock]] and also began advising his brother's firm 9Yards Capital.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ram |first1=Aliya |last2=Shubber |first2=Kadhim |title=George Osborne joins brother's Silicon Valley fund |url=https://www.ft.com/content/c1af594c-fef5-11e8-ac00-57a2a826423e |access-date=21 January 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=14 December 2018 |archive-date=28 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128161834/https://www.ft.com/content/c1af594c-fef5-11e8-ac00-57a2a826423e |url-status=live }}</ref> He joined 9Yards, a growth stage venture capital firm focused on financial technology and IT logistics investments, in 2018 as a partner and chairman.<ref>{{cite news|title=George Osborne joins brother's Silicon Valley fund|url=https://www.ft.com/content/c1af594c-fef5-11e8-ac00-57a2a826423e|work=Financial Times|date=13 December 2018|access-date=27 January 2021|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128161834/https://www.ft.com/content/c1af594c-fef5-11e8-ac00-57a2a826423e|url-status=live}}</ref>

In mid-2018, the ''Standard'' reported a loss of £10&nbsp;million for the last year to the end of September. That year the paper dropped 'London' from its title to reflect greater national and international ambitions as part of a relaunch.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jun/29/in-the-red-again-george-osborne-leads-evening-standard-to-10m-loss|title=In the red again: George Osborne leads Evening Standard to £10m loss|last=Sweney |first=Mark |date=29 June 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 July 2019|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=22 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722174953/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jun/29/in-the-red-again-george-osborne-leads-evening-standard-to-10m-loss|url-status=live}}</ref> For 2018, the ''Standard'' reported a £11.5&nbsp;million loss amid speculation of "ad struggles".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jun/26/evening-standard-reports-loss-amid-ad-struggles-george-osborne|title=Evening Standard reports £11.5m loss amid ad struggles|last=Sweney|first=Mark|date=26 June 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 July 2019|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=21 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721210514/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jun/26/evening-standard-reports-loss-amid-ad-struggles-george-osborne|url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2020, questions were raised about Osborne's future at the ''Standard''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/07/george-osborne-evening-standard-editor-talks|title=George Osborne's future at Evening Standard in doubt|work=The Guardian|last=Waterson|first=Jim|date=7 February 2020|access-date=25 February 2020|archive-date=25 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225184355/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/07/george-osborne-evening-standard-editor-talks|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 June it was announced that he would step down as editor to move to the role of editor-in-chief.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53025480|title=George Osborne to step down as Evening Standard editor|work=BBC News|date=12 June 2020|access-date=12 June 2020|archive-date=12 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612140239/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53025480|url-status=live}}</ref> He was succeeded as editor by the former deputy editor of [[British Vogue|British ''Vogue'']] and sister-in-law of [[David Cameron]], [[Emily Sheffield]], on 1 July 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jun/12/emily-sheffield-succeeds-george-osborne-as-evening-standard-editor|title=Emily Sheffield succeeds George Osborne as Evening Standard editor|work=The Guardian|last1=Weaver|first1=Matthew|last2=Waterson|first2=Jim|date=12 June 2020|access-date=12 June 2020|archive-date=12 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612145907/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jun/12/emily-sheffield-succeeds-george-osborne-as-evening-standard-editor|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Comment on Theresa May ===
In a profile of Osborne published by ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' magazine in September 2017, it was said that he had commented to several staff at the ''Evening Standard'' that he would not be satisfied until [[Theresa May]] was "chopped up in bags in my freezer".<ref>{{cite news|last=Caesar|first=Ed|url=http://www.esquire.co.uk/culture/longform/a17158/george-osborne-revenge/|title=George Osborne's Revenge|work=Esquire|date=September 2017|access-date=13 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913081703/http://www.esquire.co.uk/culture/longform/a17158/george-osborne-revenge/|archive-date=13 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> While Osborne had used macabre imagery about May in the past, he did not directly comment on the incident, although he was criticised for the alleged remark.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mason|first=Rowena|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/sep/13/george-osborne-criticised-for-gruesome-remarks-against-theresa-may|title=George Osborne criticised for gruesome remarks against Theresa May|work=The Guardian|date=13 September 2017|access-date=13 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913131007/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/sep/13/george-osborne-criticised-for-gruesome-remarks-against-theresa-may|archive-date=13 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> An editorial in the ''Standard'', published nearly a week later, was interpreted as Osborne's apology to May. It said "harsh words" had been said in connection with the Prime Minister's Brexit policy, but "intemperate language, even when said in jest" was inappropriate.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hope|first1=Christopher|last2=Swinford|first2=Stephen|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/19/theresa-may-accepts-george-osborne-apology-reports-wants-chopped/|title=Theresa May accepts George Osborne apology over reports he wants her 'chopped up in bags in freezer'|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 September 2017|access-date=19 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919165201/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/19/theresa-may-accepts-george-osborne-apology-reports-wants-chopped/|archive-date=19 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/evening-standard-comment-pm-s-action-on-modern-slavery-deserves-credit-a3638276.html|title=Theresa May's action on modern slavery deserves credit|work=London Evening Standard|date=19 September 2017|access-date=19 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919144248/https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/evening-standard-comment-pm-s-action-on-modern-slavery-deserves-credit-a3638276.html|archive-date=19 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Attempts to return to politics ===
In 2018 Osborne was discussed as a potential candidate for [[Mayor of London]] in [[2021 London mayoral election|the election]] scheduled to be held in 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/justine-greening-rules-herself-out-of-london-mayoral-contest_uk_5b32a6a5e4b0b745f17890ec|title=Justine Greening Rules Herself Out Of Race To Be Next London Mayor|work=HuffPost UK|last=Wearmouth|first=Rachel|date=26 June 2018|access-date=14 June 2020|archive-date=28 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628233504/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/justine-greening-rules-herself-out-of-london-mayoral-contest_uk_5b32a6a5e4b0b745f17890ec|url-status=live}}</ref> He said that as well as considering a bid, he would not rule out a return to Parliament.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/07/george-osborne-refuses-rule-return-public-life-mp-london-mayor/|title=George Osborne refuses to rule out a return to public life as an MP or London Mayor|work=The Telegraph|last=Hope|first=Christopher|date=7 December 2017|access-date=14 June 2020|archive-date=31 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180531070759/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/07/george-osborne-refuses-rule-return-public-life-mp-london-mayor/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, in an interview he said he would not stand for mayor as it would clash with his role as editor of the ''Evening Standard''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/iain-dale/george-osborne-rules-out-standing-for-london-mayor/|title=George Osborne Rules Out Standing For London Mayor|work=LBC|date=15 March 2018|access-date=14 June 2020|archive-date=1 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801023116/https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/iain-dale/george-osborne-rules-out-standing-for-london-mayor/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2019, the ''[[Financial Times]]'' reported that Osborne was seeking backing to replace [[Christine Lagarde]] as managing director of the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/george-osborne-prepares-bid-to-become-first-british-head-of-the-imf-m3lflbtqd|title=George Osborne prepares bid to become first British head of the IMF|last1=Aldrick|first1=Philip|last2=Elliott|first2=Francis|date=4 July 2019|work=The Times|access-date=5 July 2019|issn=0140-0460|archive-date=5 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705024427/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/george-osborne-prepares-bid-to-become-first-british-head-of-the-imf-m3lflbtqd|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/b690fdb6-9db2-11e9-9c06-a4640c9feebb|title=George Osborne eyes chance of taking IMF top job|work=Financial Times|access-date=5 July 2019|archive-date=4 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704131548/https://www.ft.com/content/b690fdb6-9db2-11e9-9c06-a4640c9feebb|url-status=live}}</ref> Osborne needed to be nominated by directors on the IMF's executive board, who were elected by member countries, to enter the contest. Both European and British government sources said that Osborne, who backed [[Boris Johnson]] in the [[2019 Conservative Party leadership election|Conservative Party leadership election]], would likely be the British nomination,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/boris-johnson-misses-deadline-to-nominate-george-osborne-as-imf-candidate-cj2lq99rf|title=Boris Johnson misses deadline to nominate George Osborne as IMF candidate|last1=Waterfield|first1=Bruno|last2=Aldrick|first2=Philip|date=2 August 2019|work=The Times|access-date=23 August 2019|issn=0140-0460|archive-date=23 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823181025/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-johnson-misses-deadline-to-nominate-george-osborne-as-imf-candidate-cj2lq99rf|url-status=live}}</ref> due in part to Johnson's accession to Prime Minister. Lagarde's replacement was to be selected by the executive board, where the United States, Japan and China held the largest shares of the total vote.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/george-osborne-imf-christine-lagarde-replacement-ecb-a8987861.html|title=George Osborne considering replacing head of the IMF|date=4 July 2019|work=The Independent|access-date=5 July 2019|archive-date=4 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704125456/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/george-osborne-imf-christine-lagarde-replacement-ecb-a8987861.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Several UK government figures, including [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] [[Sajid Javid]], endorsed Osborne for the role.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-17/u-k-s-javid-calls-for-osborne-to-become-imf-head-times-says|title=Sajid Javid Backs George Osborne as Next Head of IMF|work=Bloomberg|date=17 August 2019|access-date=23 August 2019|archive-date=6 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906163055/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-17/u-k-s-javid-calls-for-osborne-to-become-imf-head-times-says|url-status=live}}</ref> Boris Johnson spoke to US President Donald Trump in a phone call to rally support for Osborne.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-21/u-k-s-johnson-will-seek-trump-s-backing-to-put-osborne-in-imf| title=Boris Johnson Will Seek Trump's Backing to Put Osborne at IMF| first=Jess| last=Shankleman| date=21 August 2019| work=Bloomberg| access-date=23 August 2019| archive-date=23 August 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823203747/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-21/u-k-s-johnson-will-seek-trump-s-backing-to-put-osborne-in-imf| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/george-osbornes-hopes-of-being-next-imf-chief-fade-wtfhl0rkz|title=George Osborne's hopes of being next IMF chief fade|last1=Zeffman|first1=Henry|last2=Swinford|first2=Steven|date=24 August 2019|work=The Times|access-date=8 September 2019|issn=0140-0460|archive-date=6 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906073552/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/george-osbornes-hopes-of-being-next-imf-chief-fade-wtfhl0rkz|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 September 2019, Osborne abandoned his IMF leadership attempt,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/economics/article/george-osborne-gives-up-on-bid-to-become-next-imf-head-lqzbmzwwb|title=George Osborne gives up on bid to become next IMF head|last=Elliott|first=Francis|date=6 September 2019|work=The Times|access-date=8 September 2019|issn=0140-0460|archive-date=6 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906034600/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/george-osborne-gives-up-on-bid-to-become-next-imf-head-lqzbmzwwb|url-status=live}}</ref> and sources later confirmed that the chief executive of the [[World Bank]], [[Kristalina Georgieva]], had been put forward as the [[European Union]]'s nominee.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/09/05/george-osborne-fails-bid-imf/|title=George Osborne fails in bid to run the IMF|last=Lynch|first=Russell|date=5 September 2019|work=The Telegraph|access-date=8 September 2019|issn=0307-1235|archive-date=7 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907202959/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/09/05/george-osborne-fails-bid-imf/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Career diversification ===
In August 2020, Osborne's name was suggested as a possible candidate for [[chairman of the BBC]] as, according to the ''[[i (British newspaper)|i]]'' newspaper, he had maintained "good relations" with Boris Johnson.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://inews.co.uk/opinion/next-bbc-chairman-andrew-neil-amber-rudd-george-osborne-575132|title=Runners and riders to be the BBC's next chairman: Amber Rudd or Andrew Neil could seize role|work=inews|last=Sherwin|first=Adam|date=9 August 2020|access-date=9 August 2020|archive-date=4 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904075648/https://inews.co.uk/opinion/next-bbc-chairman-andrew-neil-amber-rudd-george-osborne-575132|url-status=live}}</ref> In October ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'' reported that ministers had raised the salary cap to £160,000 a year for the role, and that they might have raised it further to £280,000 in order to tempt Osborne.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/10/16/george-osborne-lined-next-bbc-chairman/|title=George Osborne lined up as the next BBC chairman|work=The Telegraph|last=Hope|first=Christopher|date=16 October 2020|access-date=17 October 2020|archive-date=17 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017080602/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/10/16/george-osborne-lined-next-bbc-chairman/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Richard Sharp (BBC chairman)|Richard Sharp]] was later appointed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55561667|title=Who is Richard Sharp, the BBC's new chairman?|work=BBC News|last=Rajan|first=Amol|date=6 January 2021|access-date=21 January 2021|archive-date=10 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110004402/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55561667|url-status=live}}</ref>

Osborne left his roles at the ''Evening Standard'' and BlackRock in March 2021, and in April became an investment banker at [[Robey Warshaw]].<ref name=goqes>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/george-osborne-quits-evening-standard-jobs-b1796019.html|title=George Osborne to relinquish media and investment jobs to become full-time banker|work=The Independent|last=Wood|first=Vincent|date=1 February 2021|access-date=2 February 2021|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201212249/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/george-osborne-quits-evening-standard-jobs-b1796019.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2021, it was announced that [[British Museum]] had unanimously elected Osborne as its chairman. He joined the museum's board of trustees on 1 September 2021 and formally became chairman on 4 October 2021.<ref>{{cite news |title=George Osborne: Former chancellor named British Museum chairman |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57596043 |access-date=24 June 2021 |work=BBC News |date=24 June 2021 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624105007/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57596043 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 25 September 2022, Osborne and [[Ed Balls]] became regular commentators on ''[[The Andrew Neil Show (2022 TV programme)|The Andrew Neil Show]]'' on [[Channel 4]].<ref>{{cite tweet |last=Compton |first=Louisa |user=louisa_compton |number=1572990691441098754 |date=22 September 2022 |title=New series of the Andrew Neil Show launches on Sunday at 1800 and we're delighted that @edballs and @George_Osborne will join @afneil each week. Each episode is now 45 mins giving more time for forensic interviews and analysis |access-date=26 September 2022}}</ref> Subsequently, on 14 September 2023, Osborne and Balls started hosting the [[political economy|economics]]-focused  politics podcast ''[[Political Currency]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ed Balls and George Osborne's banal centrism |author=Rachel Cunliffe |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/radio-podcasts/2023/09/ed-balls-george-osborne-political-currency |date=15 September 2023 |website=[[New Statesman]] |archive-date=15 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230915202547/https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/radio-podcasts/2023/09/ed-balls-george-osborne-political-currency |access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
Osborne was portrayed by [[Sebastian Armesto]] in the 2015 [[Channel 4]] television film [[Coalition (film)|''Coalition'']].

== Personal life ==
Osborne is [[heir apparent]] to his family's Irish [[baronet]]cy, of Ballentaylor and Ballylemon in [[County Waterford]]. In 2009, he had an estimated personal fortune of around £4&nbsp;million, as the beneficiary of a trust fund that owns a 15% stake in [[Osborne & Little]], the wallpaper-and-fabrics company co-founded by his father, Sir Peter Osborne.<ref name="ns-wealth">{{cite news |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2009/10/oxford-universitywealth-school |title=The new ruling class |date=1 October 2009 |first1=Samira |last1=Shackle |first2=Stephanie |last2=Hegarty |author3-link=George Eaton (journalist)|first3=George |last3=Eaton |work=New Statesman |access-date=10 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004124121/http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2009/10/oxford-universitywealth-school |archive-date=4 October 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Osborne married [[Frances Howell]], author and elder daughter of [[Lord Howell of Guildford]], a Conservative politician, on 4 April 1998.<ref name="Charles Mosley 2003" /> They have two children—Luke Benedict (born 15 June 2001) and Liberty Kate (born 27 June 2003)—who were both born in [[Westminster]].<ref name="geneall. net" />

In May 2018, ''The Daily Telegraph'' reported that Osborne and his siblings had discovered "with delight" that their maternal grandmother Clarisse Loxton-Peacock (a Hungarian émigrée) was Jewish, and therefore that in Jewish law they are Jewish too.<ref name="mendick"/>

In July 2019, Osborne and his wife announced that they were to divorce.<ref name=divorce>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48833570 |work=[[BBC News]] |title=George Osborne and wife Frances announce divorce |date=1 July 2019 |access-date=1 July 2019 |archive-date=1 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701183200/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48833570 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In April 2021, Osborne announced his engagement to Thea Rogers after two years of dating.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cope|first=Rebecca|date=7 April 2021 |title=George Osborne is engaged to pregnant girlfriend Thea Rogers |url=https://www.tatler.com/article/who-is-george-osbornes-girlfriend-thea-rogers |access-date=6 July 2023 |website=Tatler }}</ref> Rogers had been his special adviser and later [[Chief of Staff]] when he was Chancellor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Syal |first=Rajeev |date=17 December 2015 |title=Osborne gives political adviser 42% rise amid public sector pay freeze |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/dec/17/osborne-hands-advisers-big-pay-rises-while-freezing-public-sector-wages |access-date=6 July 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The couple's first child, a son named Beau, was born on 15 July 2021.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/markets/article/george-osborne-to-marry-former-adviser-thea-rogers-rcxwh8ssl|title=George Osborne to marry former adviser Thea Rogers|work=The Times|last=Grylls|first=George|date=7 April 2021|access-date=7 April 2021|archive-date=7 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210407003702/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/george-osborne-to-marry-former-adviser-thea-rogers-rcxwh8ssl|url-status=live}}</ref> Rogers gave birth to their second child, a son named Arthur, on 30 December 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last=Quadri |first=Sami |date=29 January 2023 |title=Ex-Chancellor George Osborne and fiancée Thea Rogers welcome baby boy |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/george-osborne-chancellor-baby-boy-birth-arthur-b1056354.html |access-date=6 July 2023 |website=Evening Standard }}</ref> Before their wedding in July 2023, a [[poison pen]] email was circulated.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mendick |first1=Robert |last2=Buchanan |first2=Abigail |title=George Osborne's wedding overshadowed by poison pen letter on eve of ceremony |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/07/07/george-osborne-wedding-police-called-over-malicious-email/ |access-date=8 July 2023 |work=Daily Telegraph |date=7 July 2023}}</ref> The couple were married on 8 July 2023. A protester, initially believed to be from the environmental group [[Just Stop Oil]], threw orange confetti over them as they left the church following the wedding ceremony. Just Stop Oil denied responsibility for the incident.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66146877 |title=Just Stop Oil deny disrupting George Osborne wedding |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=9 July 2023 |access-date=9 July 2023}}</ref> The couple welcomed a third son, Pax, in February 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/george-osborne-thea-rogers-baby-name-b2493449.html|title= George Osborne's wife Thea Rogers gives birth to third child: 'Absolute miracle'|work=the independent|publisher=independent |date=9 February 2024 |access-date=14 May 2025}}</ref>

== Honours ==
* 13 May 2010: appointed to the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom]], giving the honorific style of "[[The Right Honourable]]" for life.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/13th-May2010-List.pdf |title=BUSINESS TRANSACTED AND ORDER APPROVED AT THE PRIVY COUNCIL HELD BY THE QUEEN AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE ON 13th MAY 2010 |last=Simpson |first=Judith |date=13 May 2010 |website=The Privy Council Office |access-date=24 January 2024 |archive-date=15 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315183210/https://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/13th-May2010-List.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 4 August 2016: appointed [[Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour]] in David Cameron's [[2016 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours|Resignation Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61678 |supp=y|page=RH1|date=16 August 2016}}</ref> This appointment granted him the [[List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom)|Post Nominal Letters]] "CH" for Life.

=== Awards ===

* 2015 ''[[British GQ]]'' Politician of the Year award<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/george-osborne-politician-gq-2015|title=When George Osborne won Politician Of The Year|website=British GQ|date=7 September 2015|access-date=8 September 2019|archive-date=21 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621044859/https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/george-osborne-politician-gq-2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Osborne baronets]]
* [[United Kingdom government austerity programme]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last=Ganesh |first=Janan |title=George Osborne: The Austerity Chancellor |year=2012 |publisher=Biteback |isbn=978-1-84954-214-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/georgeosborneaus0000gane }}

== External links ==
{{sister project links|d=Q332493|b=no|s=no|wikt=no|v=no|voy=no|c=category:George Osborne|m=no|mw=no|species=no}}
* [https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Osborne George Osborne] at the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100414161838/http://www.conservatives.com/People/Prospective_Parliamentary_Candidates/Osborne_George.aspx George Osborne MP] ''official Conservative Party profile''
* [http://www.georgeosborne4tatton.com/ George Osborne for Tatton] ''official constituency site''
* {{UK MP links | parliament = mr-george-osborne/1458 | hansard = mr-george-osborne | guardian = 6138/george-osborne | publicwhip = George_Osborne | theywork = george_osborne | record = George-Osborne/Tatton/395 | bbc = 25194.stm | journalisted=george-osborne}}
* {{Guardian topic}}
* [https://archive.today/20130421103344/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/georgeosborne/ George Osborne] collected news and commentary at ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]''
* {{C-SPAN|82369}}
* {{IMDb name|2137252}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060517013250/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/570.stm Profile: George Osborne] ''BBC News'', 5 April 2005
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090512195354/http://www.thersa.org/events/vision/vision-videos/george-osborne---8-april-2009 Economic thinking after the crunch], video speech, ''RSA Insights'', 8 April 2009
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190606191556/http://therealgeorgeosborne.com/ The Real George Osborne], parody series featuring Rufus Jones as George Osborne, November–December 2011
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121031081610/http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/o/21514/George%20Gideon%20Oliver+OSBORNE.aspx ''Debrett's People of Today'']
* {{Muckrack}}

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[[Category:George Osborne| ]]
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