S&P place UK on negative outlook
Ratings service Standard and Poor's has downgraded its outlook of the UK's credit rating from stable to negative.
It warned there was a one-in-three chance of the country losing its triple A status within two years if its economy deteriorated beyond expectations.
"We believe this could occur in particular as a result of a delayed and uneven economic recovery, or a weakening of political commitment to consolidation," S&P said.