Swaggering Chancellor George Osborne faced condemnation yesterday for his fantasy boast that "Britain's economic plan is working."

Labour MPs and trade unionists lambasted the multimillionaire toff for hammering the workers, the sick and the poor with yet more vicious cuts in his autumn statement to the Commons.

His grim message to middle-aged and younger people was that they must toil until they drop in austerity Britain for shrunken wages until they are 68, 69 or perhaps even 70.