The UK must grin and bear the coalition’s cuts in order to cut the deficit as Canada did during the 1990s, according to the former British high commissioner to Canada.

Speaking yesterday at the Public Property Summit in London, Sir Nicholas Bayne, who is also a fellow of the London School of Economics, said the UK should not waver from the swingeing cuts announced at the comprehensive spending review two weeks ago.

He said the UK had different challenges to Canada, which faced a budget deficit of 9% of GDP in 1993, when Bayne was working in the country. Following cuts of 22% to government department’s budgets, Canadian public spending moved into a surplus after three years.

Bayne said he was optimistic that the UK could follow this example if it did not backtrack on the cuts announced at the spending review.

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