Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Alistair Darling: "It is absolutely essential to maintain support for the economy" Chancellor Alistair Darling has said the upward revision in the UK's growth figures is "encouraging", but warned against cutting spending too soon.Figures show the economy grew by 0.3% in the last quarter of 2009, better than the earlier estimate of 0.1%. For the Conservatives, shadow chancellor George Osborne also welcomed the news, but said it strengthened his call to begin cuts. Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said the economy was still "fragile". The initial estimate of 0.1% growth released last month showed that the UK had emerged from recession, but only just. This better-than-expected revision confirms the economy is in recovery, but analysts say there is still a chance it could contract again in the current quarter. The recent recession was the longest on record in the UK and saw public borrowing increase to an estimated £178bn.[Read more...]