The former chair of the Conservative Party has laid out just how bleak he believes the UK's economic prospects are.
Chris Patten was the chair of the Tories under John Major, served as the governor of Hong Kong and is currently the chancellor at the University of Oxford. Speaking on the BBC's Question Time he said the "political establishment" were "very reluctant" to tell people the truth, adding: "The truth is, we're in one hell of a mess".
Baron Patten said: "Our GDP per capita now is less than not only France, Germany, the Netherlands, it's lower than Ireland. It's lower for heaven's sake than Lithuania. The poorest 20% in Britain are poorer than the poorest 20% in Poland. That is not the sign of a community, of a country, which has things going for it." You can get more politics news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
