Has the UK already lost its AAA status?

The Financial Times yesterday reported that:

"British government debt is already trading at prices that suggest it has lost its prized top credit rating, heightening concerns that investors already view gilts as less than triple A-rated assets and demand greater rewards for holding them.

Since the end of November, the gap between the interest rate Britain and Germany must pay on 10-year government debt has risen from 0.35 percentage points to 0.9 points."

Lower rated than Germany, well is that so bad? How about this?

"British government bond yields – the cost of servicing government borrowing – have risen above those of Italy for the first time since mid-2008. Britain has to pay much more to borrow than other triple A-rated economies such as Germany, France and the US."

OK but at least we are not as badly thought of as the PIGS...

"the UK’s yields are also only a fraction lower than those of Portugal, seen as the weakest eurozone economy after Greece."

This is the legacy of 13 years of Gordon Brown running the UK economy; we are already being treated by the markets as though our AAA rating had been lost. In 1997 Gordon Brown was told by Treasury officials in what a good state the economy was in after Ken Clarke's stewardship and with typical gracelessness Gordon Brown is reported to have replied 'so what do you want me to do, thank him?'. What do you think Treasury officials would tell George Osborne if a Conservative government is elected later this spring? It's not going to be good news is it.