In February 2013, the UK lost its AAA credit rating—which Osborne had indicated to be a priority when coming to power—for the first time since 1978. His March 2013 budget was made when the Office for Budget Responsibility had halved its forecast for that year's economic growth from 1.2% to 0.6%. It was described by "The Daily Telegraph"s economics editor as "an inventive, scattergun approach to growth that half-ticked the demands of every policy commentator, wrapped together under the Chancellor's banner of Britain as an 'aspiration nation'." However, it was positively received by the public, with the ensuing boost to Conservative Party support in opinion polls standing in marked contrast to the previous year's budget. The economy subsequently began to pick up in mid-2013, with Osborne's net public approval rating rising from −33 to +3 over the following 12 months.