George Eustice: Osborne remains firm under pressure

George Osborne had his work cut out in the run-up to this week's Autumn Statement. The crisis in the eurozone, coupled with ongoing speculation about the prospects for the UK economy, meant that he had to get his message across against a great deal of background noise. It's probably why this year's statement was heavily trailed in the run-up to Tuesday, enabling the Government to hold the agenda.