Britain's government deficit exceeded the limit set out by the Maastricht Treaty last year for the first time since 1996, official figures showed today.
The Office for National Statistics said that general government net borrowing stood at £33.9 billion in 2003 compared with £15.2 billion in 2002.
This was equivalent to 3.1 per cent of gross domestic product in 2003 compared with 1.5 per cent in 2002.
This was the first time the deficit/GDP ratio has exceeded 3.0 per cent, the reference value in the Treaty's protocol for an excessive deficit since 1996.
