Osborne's Woes Capped By Damning Verdict on Housing Policy

George Osborne faces a fresh onslaught on his economic credibility as the influential Treasury select committee publishes a damning report on his flagship budget housing policy, soon after Fitch became the latest credit ratings agency to strip the UK of its coveted AAA rating.  Capping a grim week for the chancellor, in which the International Monetary Fund urged him to rethink his austerity plans and the latest official figures showed a jump in unemployment, MPs accuse him of failing to answer 19 key questions about the Help to Buy scheme, aimed at helping first-time buyers.  MPs warn that the chancellor's package of measures to boost the property market could instead stoke a housing bubble and leave taxpayers exposed to a future downturn in prices.  Read more on the Guardian website.