On 9 December, in his final pre-Budget report before the 2010 general election, Chancellor Alastair Darling said that the recession had been deeper than predicted during the Budget in April, and that the government's programme of quantitative easing had made a "real difference" to families and businesses. He also announced measures to help economic recovery, including a public sector pay freeze, a levy on bank bonuses and a package of measures to help the unemployed. He said the country must choose "between securing the recovery or wrecking it". Darling also said that the UK's total net debt would continue to rise until the financial year 2014–15. Borrowing would reach 56% of GDP in 2009–10 and peak at 78% in 2014–15; later than previously forecast and in line with other G7 economies.