Can UK become the richest economy?

• Conservative Minister, Jo Johnson, brother of Boris, said the UK can never be the world's richest economy

Tory Chancellor George Osborne has claimed that Britain can become the world’s richest economy.  He said that within 15 years Britain could be richer than the USA and, “become the most prosperous of any major economy by the 2030s”.

But three years ago Jo Johnson, MP, author of the Tory's 2015 manifesto, told me Britain can never again be the world's richest economy.

The last time Britain was the world's richest economy was back in the 19th Century, but according to Mr Osborne it can happen again.  In a speech to the Royal Economic Society in London he said there was, “no reason why Britain cannot be the richest major economy in the world”.

But the man who compiled the Tory’s 2015 manifesto emphatically disagreed. Tory Minister, Jo Johnson, younger brother of London Mayor Boris Johnson and Head of the Number 10 Policy Unit, was charged with drafting his party’s manifesto for next month’s General Election. 

Three years ago, during a debate at London’s Royal Society of Arts about Britain’s future, I asked Jo Johnson if he could dare to imagine that Britain could ever again be the world’s number one economy.  He replied: 

“No. We’re not going to be the world’s largest economy again. Full stop. We can say that with certainty.” 

He argued that Britain’s population wasn't large enough to be the world’s richest economy. 

Click the arrow to watch the video (55 seconds)

Jo Johnson is the Conservative’s Parliamentary candidate for Orpington, Kent in the May 2015 General Election.  The other candidates are Nigel de Gruchy (Labour), Peter Brooks (Liberal Democrat), Tamara Galloway (Greens) and Idham Ramadi (UKIP).

Can #UK be richest economy? @George_Osborne says YES #Tory manifesto author said NO http://t.co/SuEHaH3Geo Blog: http://t.co/FVxCbXbrKW
— Jon Danzig (@Jon_Danzig) April 26, 2015

WORLD'S RICHEST ECONOMY? NOT IF UK LEAVES EU - NEW STUDY http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/04/27/uk-britain-eu-brexit-germany-idUKKBN0NI0Z620150427
Posted by Jon Danzig on Monday, 27 April 2015

Other articles by Jon Danzig:

• Can't vote or don't vote?
• Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Farage?
• Censored by the Daily Telegraph