Britain's cavernous £50 billion investment gap was laid bare by the TUC yesterday as Tory Chancellor George Osborne issued his latest series of throwaway pledges.

Mr Osborne promised to get "Britain building" with plans for 15,000 homes in a new garden city near Ebbsfleet in Kent.

He also unveiled a £6bnboost to his help to buy scheme on BBC1's Andrew Marr show before delivering his latest cuts budget in Parliament on Wednesday.