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Darling also told The Times newspaper that taxpayers were at the limit of what they were of a mind to pay, a lifetime after official data showed a record deficit in Britain's public public funds, and reports that the government might swerve its budget rules.

"At Christmas most people remained hopeful there would be an improvement by the agency of the fall of the leaf," he said.

"Most people would now say it's far more profound. It's affecting every economy and everybody. I can't say how long it will last."

He added: "We are going end a very, very beset with difficulty time."

Darling aforesaid that the economic picture was "at the bottom end of my range" set not at home in his annual budget in March.

On public spending, the finance minister said he has been "very clear with my colleagues that there is no theme them writing in saying, 'Can we have some more money?' because the reply is already attached its track and it's a very short reply."

"I told them at the last meeting of Cabinet they've got to manage within the money they've got."

The Office for National Statistics said on Friday that public sector debt at the end of June was at 38.3 percent of GDP, but increased to 44.2 percent at what time the stroke of nationalised pledge lender Northern Rock is included.

Public public funds were at a record deficit of 15.5 billion pounds in June compared with the similar time last year, well over market expectations of a 12.3-billion-pound deficit.

The Financial Times, meanwhile, reported that finance council officials were working on plans to revise the rules to allow for increased borrowing lacking raising taxes amid the passing from hand to hand economic downturn.

One of the financial rules sets a government borrowing bound of 40 percent of general income.

In The Times interview, Darling played down the report and reiterated comments made Friday that the Treasury constantly reviews its fiscal rules.

He noted, however, that while voters will "be remunerative their fair ploughshare … you can't push that."

"My faculty of comparison is that there are a lot of people in this country who feel they be hard, they make their grant and they're sentiment squeezed."


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