Political activist Francis Foster has warned that Britain risks being economically overtaken by several Eastern European nations following Rachel Reeves's recent Budget.
Speaking at the ARC Conference, Foster expressed grave concerns about the UK's economic trajectory.
He revealed that projections show Poland is set to surpass Britain in GDP per capita by 2030.
Even more concerning, both Hungary and Romania are expected to overtake the UK by 2035, according to Foster's discussions with an economist.
Francis Foster criticised Rachel Reeves on GB News
PA / GB NEWS
"That is desperate when you think about our economy and our history," Foster told GB News at the conference.
Foster described Reeves's Budget as "quite frankly, disastrous for growth."
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"I am really worried because at the moment, I don't see how we're going to grow our way out of it," he said.
The activist painted a stark picture of Britain's current economic state, describing it as "a low growth, low wage economy."]
His concerns echo recent warnings from the Bank of England, with governor Andrew Bailey stating that the UK was in a "weak growth environment."
The criticism comes as new figures show 1,971 firms in England and Wales went bust in January, an 11 per cent increase from the previous year.
Francis Foster spoke to Darren Grimes at the ARC Conference
GB NEWS
Foster also delivered a scathing assessment of Brexit's implementation.
He pointed out that immigration levels have nearly doubled compared to their EU-era peak of 550,000.
"Brexit has fundamentally failed because of the people implementing it," Foster stated at the conference.
He explained that the Brexit referendum was driven by public concerns about the rate of change in towns and cities.
Francis Foster lashed out at Rachel Reeves's 'disastrous' Budget
GB NEWS
"We were betrayed by Boris Johnson's government who promised us one thing and delivered quite another," Foster said.
The activist argued that while freedom of movement worked for "the upper classes, the elites," it wasn't benefiting "the ordinary Brit."
The broader economic impact of these concerns is reflected in recent business data.
The Confederation of British Industry has warned of a "wave of insolvencies" hitting various sectors.
Productivity figures are also troubling, with output per hour worked down 0.8 per cent between October and December compared to the previous year.
Job vacancies have fallen to 819,000 in the three months to January, showing 110,000 fewer positions than a year earlier.
The Institute of Directors warned that Labour's policies were "significantly weakening the business case for hiring."
Jane Gratton from the British Chambers of Commerce cautioned that "firms will face even more difficulty in the months ahead."
