GEORGE OSBORNE is “turning back the clock” on women’s rights, Labour charged yesterday after research showed mothers and pensioners will be disproportionately affected by his Budget.

Analysis from the House of Commons library showed that 86 per cent of “savings” from tax and benefit measures between 2010 and 2020 will have come from women’s pockets.

And Women’s Budget Group (WBG) research, which also factored in public services, found that female-headed households will see the larges drop in living standards by 2020.

WBG found that lone mothers and single female pensions will, on average, have seen their living standards slashed by a fifth by 2020.

The report said: “Evidence continues to mount that the burden of austerity has been borne disproportionately by those on low incomes and by women.

“This Budget continues this trend, with a series of tax give-aways for the better off and for men, as well as cuts to the headline rate of corporation tax.

“These are more likely to benefit men … but also disadvantage women by eroding the income base that pays for essential services.”

Labour shadow equalities minister Kate Green warned that “George Osborne has turned the clock back on women’s economic independence and equality.”

Ms Green called on ministers to heed Labour’s calls to “conduct an urgent cumulative impact assessment of the government’s policies on women and protected groups since 2010 and explain how they will reverse the damaging impact of their policies on women.”