Who advises George Osborne (Chancellor of the Exchequer) on UK economic policy?

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Following the additional UK austerity measures announced in the UK on 29/11/11, various respected economists (including Roubini, Krugman) have again put forward the view that austerity measures damage the economic recovery and not improve it.

With the criticism raised, it got me thinking of who actually advises and puts together economic policy for the UK?
If it's civil servants who perform this role, are these the same people who could be accused of guiding the UK into a problem in the first place (under the last government)?

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Your question makes the assumption that there are people external to the Conservatives who advice them on what to do. This assertion is false.

You asking this question of how it's possible for George Osborne to implement harming economic policies for people, proves that you don't know how a democracy or a parliament works.

Who actually advises and puts together economic policy for the UK?
The members of parliament inside the House of Commons. It just so happens that Conservatives hold a majority seat, and that Liberal Democrats are in a coilition government.

No external people advise them, they advise themselves. The British goverment commissions independant reports all the time, but they are not required to carry out the favourable option those reports give.

What happens when a change is to be done, is that a member of parliament proposes a bill. This bill is then debated on in the House of Commons, and is then voted on by the MPs. If the bill is passed based on the outcome of this vote, then what the bill proses becomes law.

There are good bills such as reclassifying drugs, and there are bad ones such as cutting benefits. Whatever bills win the vote when they are voted on, is the bill that is passed.

1. Convervatives: 33% vote share, 245 seats (38%)
2. Liberal Democrats: 30% vote share, 100 seats (15%)
3. Labour: 28% vote share, 276 seats (42%)

So for anyone wondering why it's possible for the government to do public service cuts, benefit cuts, and various other cuts, so now you know why.

The coilition government hold the majority share of the seats.

(Please don't ask how it's possible for Lib Dems to have more votes in the 2009 elections than Labour, and have less seats.)

Going back to what I said earlier, the government are of no obligation to choose the favourable option that independant reports give them. This year there is an Extradition Review for Julian Assange, and a Druge Report about whether copyright should be extended for another 70 years. You can read them both now if you want. One of them went against the report, and another one likely will. I'm sure you know which.

Pirate Party MEP Christian Engstrom already predicted the negative outcome last week, and left the following grim comments.

“Are you surprised that politicians first order a scientific review of a policy area, and then completely ignore its findings and do the exact opposite? You shouldn’t be.”