A group of economists has questioned UK assertions that a "black hole" in the public finances will need to be filled with austerity measures and tax rises. The Progressive Economy Forum said the £50bn "hole" disappears entirely if the debts are calculated differently. The government previously used a different measure of debt, and going back to using that would leave £14bn to spare, they said. The Treasury said the public finances would be assessed independently. ADVERTISEMENT Media discussion of the government's tax and spending options ahead of the Autumn Statement has been dominated by a so-called "black ... (full story)