Your questions for George Osborne

It's been a couple of weeks since we asked CoffeeHousers to put forward their questions for George Osborne.  We've since picked out the best ten, which have now been put to the shadow chancellor.  He'll get back to us over the next couple of days.

The CoffeeHousers whose questions were chosen can e-mail me on phoskin @ spectator.co.uk to claim their t-shirt and 180th Anniversary issue of the magazine.

Anyway, here are the questions:

Tiberius
 
"I understand the reasons for not committing to upfront tax cuts, but there are bound to be some savings available from reform.

Do you have any idea at this stage how much could be available, and where would you seek to allocate any such savings?"

Patrick, London
 
"How profound are your ambitions to cut state spending really? Would you agree that 30% of GDP is quite enough thank you very much?"

Nicholas
 
"I thought the Brown Annual Report was brilliant but it has been little reported. In PMQs Brown constantly reels off examples of Conservative opposition to public sector investment. What is the Conservative strategy for making sure the government's outrageous budget waste (quangos, higher input than output, quantity not quality, etc.) gets more exposure in the media and that the public really understand the issues?"

Richard Nabavi

"Given that economic prospects have deteriorated considerably in recent months, do you think that the government's taxation and spending plans for the next three years are sustainable, or will both now have to be changed?"

William Norton
 
"You've committed the Conservatives to Labour's expenditure plans as set out in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review. Does this include the budgets for the Olympics (Annex D14) and Regional Development Agencies (Annex D19)?"

GS London
 
"What are the realistic possibilities of a flat-rate taxation system? If not, please explain why not, and, failing that, would a conservative government make effort to drastically reduce the complexity in current taxation?"

Damon
 
"McCain or Obama?"

gstewart
 
"It looks as though the first term (at least) of the next Conservative Government will be spent pushing through a major reconstruction and rescue of the British economy. Can you outline some of the first steps you'll take."

M. onal
 
"In your opinion, what are the 5 cardinal mistakes Labour has made with the economy since coming to power?"

Jonathan T
 
George,

"What do you plan to do regarding unfunded public sector pensions?

Will you remove the defined benefit provision for current public sector employees and replace with defined contribution, as in the majority of the private sector?

Will you establish a fund to cover the liabilities of public sector pension provision, rather than relying on future taxpayers? (Perhaps put key infrastructure into such a fund and charge for its use?)

Best of luck in sorting out the fiscal shambles you will inherit in May 2010!"