Autumn Statement 'disaster' leaves Ed Balls red-faced #RedEd was trending on Twitter today as he suffered in the Commons Labour source admitted point 'was not made well in the chamber today' George Osborne says Balls should have gone to piano exam instead Pair clash as figures show growth of 1.4% this year, up from 0.6% forecast By Martin Robinson and Matt Chorley Ed Balls literally turned red today after he was viciously lampooned and heckled in the Commons as his response to the Autumn Statement turned into a 'disaster'. The Shadow Chancellor's face turned puce as he was forced to yell over the heckles of opposition MPs and cope with a series of jokes at his expense, while senior Labour MPs looked dismayed nearby. The humiliated Labour heavyweight was left with a sore throat by the disastrous performance which led to #RedEd trending on Twitter, a nickname usually reserved for his leader Ed Miliband. Watch the disaster below... Lampooned: Ed Balls was ribbed online after his speech which led to his name trending on Twitter and people using #RedEd Having fun: The Chancellor and the Prime Minister laughed heartily during Ed Balls' speech today Mr Osborne used his Autumn Statement to declare that 'Britain is moving' and critics of his economic plan had been proven wrong. Mr Balls had warned that borrowing would rise, growth would flatline, employment would fall and the private sector would fail to make up for job losses in the private sector. Mr Osborne told the Commons: 'We have held our nerve while those - who predicted there would be no growth until we turned the spending taps back on - have been proved comprehensively wrong. Thanks to the sacrifice and endeavour of the British people, I can today report the hard evidence that shows our economic plan is working. As Mr Balls rose to give his response he was almost floored by an almighty wall of noise from the government benches. He started trying to accuse Mr Osborne of 'utterly breathtaking complacency' and said 'you are in complete denial' about living standards in Britain. But the Chancellor responded: 'The man who said that borrowing wouldn't come down, unemployment wouldn't come down, growth wouldn't happen and the man who refuses to apologise for what he did to the British economy. He is the very epitome of denial. Hard time: Ed Balls turned red and was forced to yell as he struggled to get his message across in the Commons today At this point Commons Speaker John Bercow was forced to stage the first of several interventions in a bid to rescue Mr Balls from being drowned out by barracking MPs. Adopting the tone of a teacher telling rowdy pupils it was their own time they were wasting, Mr Bercow said: 'It is very simple, it just lengthens proceedings. Doesn't bother me, I very much enjoy chairing the proceedings.' But the remarks did nothing to help Mr Balls who continued with his lacklustre attack on the government. He claimed the marriage tax allowance was a 'turkey' while tax cuts for business were designed to help only the rich on the Tories' Christmas card list. Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow calls for order as Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls responds to the Autumn Statement But in response Mr Osborne went on to mercilessly rib Mr Balls over his decision to cancel his grade three piano exam because it clashed with the Autumn Statement. 'He probably should have gone ahead with his Chopsticks routine,' the Chancellor said. In an interview with The Times this week Mr Balls also said 'set himself the target of reaching grade eight by his 50th birthday'. Mr Osborne said: 'Well after his performance I can understand why he expects to have a lot more spare times on his hands'. As Mr Balls concluded, his voice hoarse with effort, Tory MPs began waving him goodbye. Senior Labour figures were dismayed by the performance, warning that the party's economic message had been badly delivered by a clearly flustered Mr Balls. Tory strategists are confident that they can fight the next election on a growing economy, with Labour struggling to respond having issued dire warnings that austerity was 'too far, too fast' and would cost 1million jobs. Flat: MPs behind Mr Balls looked less than enthused by his speech and a source later said George Osborne later quoted a Labour source as saying their case for the economy 'was not made well in the chamber today' On the up: In March the Office for Budget Responsibility slashed growth forecast for this year to just 0.6 per cent, but the figure for 2013 and 2014 were dramatically upgraded today Growth will be 1.4% this year, up from 0.6 predicted in March There will be an extra 400,000 jobs this year as a result Borrowing will be £111billion this year, down from £120billion Small surplus expected by 2018-19 There will be an extra £1billion in spending cuts every year for three years Tax discs to be scrapped and fuel duty rise for next September abolished Plans to ban jobless benefits for under-25s under 'earn or learn' policy £50 to be knocked of energy bill rises as taxpayer pays for green levies £270 million for Quantum technology Rail fares capped at inflation for 2014 50 per discount from business rates if people take on empty business properties for three years. Mr Osborne used his statement to unveil a raft of upbeat data pointing to the recovery gaining momentum, with record numbers in work, borrowing falling and house prices forecast to soar by 5.2 per cent next year. Within five years government spending as a share of the economy will fall to its lowest level since records began in 1948. The watchdog also predicts dramatic increase in house prices, up 3.2 per cent this year, 5.2 per cent next year and an eye-watering 7.2 per cent in 2015. But in a bid to dampen hopes that the good times are back, Mr Osborne warned the proceeds of the recovery would be "squandered" if he does not stick to his austerity programme. In a strident speech to the Commons, the Chancellor made clear he believes his economic plan has been vindicated. He clashed angrily with Labour's Ed Balls, who desperately struggled to counter the argument that the government's approach has returned the country to growth. Setting out political battle lines, Mr Osborne repeatedly pledged to 'secure the economy for the long term' as he made the case for voters to stick with him beyond the next election. In a series of eye-catching, if modest, giveaways he scrapped a 2p rise in fuel duty, cut the planned rise in rail fares, cut £50 from energy bills, offered some married couples a £100 tax break and confirmed all under-7s will get free school meals. On welfare he promised a total spending on benefits will be capped, with ministers forced to explain publicly if they breach the limit. The move will put pressure on Labour because it had refused to back the idea if pensions were included, but Mr Osborne now says it should be excluded. School leavers will be banned from signing on to claim the dole, while firms who hire under-21s will not have to pay National Insurance. But to counter the feel-good factor, an extra £3billion will have to be found in spending cuts over the next three years and the under-40s were told they will have to work into their 70s before receiving a state pension. A fresh crackdown on tax avoidance will raise £9billion, Mr Osborne claimed. He introduced his widely-trailed oligarch tax to hit foreign owners who have reaped big profits on British homes in today's Autumn Statement, but also slashed a tax break for small property investors