George Osborne Facts for Kids

Shadow Cabinet posts

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 10 May 2005 – 11 May 2010
Leader	Michael Howard David Cameron
Preceded by	Oliver Letwin
Succeeded by	Alistair Darling
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office 14 June 2004 – 10 May 2005
Leader	Michael Howard
Preceded by	Howard Flight
Succeeded by	Philip Hammond

Member of Parliament
for Tatton

In office
7 June 2001 – 3 May 2017

Preceded by

Martin Bell

Succeeded by

Esther McVey

Personal details

Born

Gideon Oliver Osborne

23 May 1971 (age 54)
London, England

Political party

Conservative

Spouses

Frances Howell

(m. 1998; div. 2019)

Thea Rogers

(m. 2023)

Children

Parents

Sir Peter Osborne, 17th Baronet
Felicity Loxton-Peacock

Alma mater

Magdalen College, Oxford (BA)

Signature

George Gideon Oliver Osborne (born 23 May 1971) is a British former politician and newspaper editor. He was a very important figure in the UK government. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2016. This role is like the country's chief financial officer. He was also the First Secretary of State from 2015 to 2016. This is a senior role in the government.

Osborne was a member of the Conservative Party. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Tatton from 2001 to 2017. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of voters in Parliament.

Early Life and Education
Starting in Politics
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Shadow Chancellor (2005–2010)
Chancellor of the Exchequer (2010–2016)
- How His Policies Were Seen
After Leaving Parliament
Personal Life
Honours
- Awards
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

George Osborne was born in Paddington, London, on 23 May 1971. His birth name was Gideon Oliver Osborne. His father, Sir Peter Osborne, 17th Baronet, helped start a company called Osborne & Little. This company designs fabrics and wallpapers. George is the oldest of four brothers.

When he was 13, he decided to be known as George. He said he never liked the name Gideon. He chose George after his grandfather, who was a war hero.

He went to private schools: Norland Place School, Colet Court, and St Paul's School. In 1990, he started studying at the University of Oxford. He earned a degree in Modern History in 1993. While at Oxford, he was part of the Bullingdon Club, a social group.

After university, Osborne wanted to become a journalist. He did some freelance work for The Daily Telegraph. Later, a friend told him about a job at the Conservative Party's research department.

Starting in Politics

George Osborne joined the Conservative Research Department in 1994. He became the head of its political section. He worked as an adviser to government ministers. He also worked for Prime Minister John Major at 10 Downing Street. This was before the 1997 general election.

After the election, he worked for William Hague. Hague was the new leader of the Conservative Party. Osborne helped Hague write speeches and prepare for debates in Parliament.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Osborne was elected as an MP for Tatton, Cheshire, in June 2001. He was the youngest Conservative MP in the House of Commons at that time. He won his seat with a large number of votes. He was re-elected in 2005 and 2010 with even more votes.

Shadow Chancellor (2005–2010)

Osborne at Conservative Spring Forum 2006 in Manchester

In September 2004, the Conservative leader, Michael Howard, gave Osborne a role in the Shadow Cabinet. He became the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. This role involves looking at the government's money plans from the opposition side.

After the 2005 general election, Howard made him Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. Osborne was only 33 years old. He helped David Cameron become the leader of the Conservative Party. When Cameron became leader, Osborne kept his job as Shadow Chancellor.

Osborne was interested in making the tax system simpler. He suggested ideas like a "flat tax," where everyone pays the same percentage of their income in tax. However, this idea was not included in the Conservative Party's plans for the 2010 election.

Chancellor of the Exchequer (2010–2016)

George Osborne became the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 11 May 2010. He took over this important role after the 2010 general election. The UK government had a large debt because of the 2008 financial crisis.

As Chancellor, Osborne introduced tough spending cuts. These were called "austerity policies." The goal was to reduce the government's debt. He also started the Northern Powerhouse initiative. This plan aimed to improve the economy in cities in the North of England.

In 2012, Osborne reduced the highest rate of income tax. This meant that people who earned a lot of money paid a smaller percentage of their income in tax.

After the Conservatives won the 2015 general election, David Cameron kept Osborne as Chancellor. He also gave him the extra title of First Secretary of State. Many people thought Osborne might become the next leader of the Conservative Party. However, after the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016, David Cameron resigned. The new Prime Minister, Theresa May, removed Osborne from his role.

How His Policies Were Seen

Many people have looked closely at Osborne's time as Chancellor. His austerity measures are often seen as not having helped reduce unemployment or make the economy grow faster. Some studies have linked his policies to more inequality and poverty in the UK.

In 2012, Osborne was not very popular with the public. He was even booed when he presented medals at the London Paralympics.

After Leaving Parliament

After leaving his government role in 2016, Osborne remained an MP for a year. He then left Parliament before the 2017 general election. He said he wanted new challenges.

In September 2016, he started the Northern Powerhouse Partnership. This group brings together business leaders and politicians to help develop the North of England.

From 2017 to 2020, Osborne was the editor of the Evening Standard newspaper. This was a new career for him in journalism. Some people questioned this appointment because he was still an MP at first and had no previous experience as an editor.

He also took on other roles. He became a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and Stanford Graduate School of Business. He also advised a large investment company called BlackRock.

In June 2021, George Osborne was chosen to be the chairman of the British Museum. This is a very important cultural role. Since September 2023, he has also hosted a podcast about economics and politics called Political Currency with Ed Balls.

Personal Life

George Osborne is the person who will inherit his family's special title, called a baronetcy. His family also has a share in the company Osborne & Little.

He married Frances Howell in 1998. They had two children, Luke and Liberty. They divorced in 2019.

In April 2021, Osborne announced his engagement to Thea Rogers. She used to be his special adviser when he was Chancellor. They had their first child, a son named Beau, in July 2021. Their second son, Arthur, was born in December 2022. They got married in July 2023. Their third son, Pax, was born in February 2024.

Honours

13 May 2010: He became a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. This gives him the title "The Right Honourable" for life.
4 August 2016: He was given the title Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour. This is a special award for people who have done a lot for the country.

Awards

2015 British GQ Politician of the Year award

Images for kids

George Osborne's signature
Osborne on an official visit to China in October 2013

George Osborne facts for kids

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