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New Labour stealing Tory ideas, that's a new one! Whatever next? Tories backing the NHS? Hang on...

How about a clear, honest appraisal on where public sector debt is right now? No, thought not...

Maybe another increase of Aviation Fuel duty as well? Another increase in funding for Education no doubt. And it'll be interesting to hear his ideas on how the Olympic Games are going to be finanaced.

Ah, I really do hope he makes a joke about Five Year Plans. He probably won't but there are some great oneliners waiting out there.

Lets see some real bravery by the chancellor; a budget that will address the interests of the poorer members of our society and place the financial burden on business, industry and the more economically able individuals. Higher taxes for the people in higher income brackets, polluting industry and big business who are making obscene profits.

Any mention of the-now-long-forgotten race equality agenda in the budget? Through budgetary means, will Gordon force business to take action in the recruitment, retention & promotion of ethnic minorities? In an ever growing world of multi-culturalism surely this is Gordon's last chance to shape (from an economic perspective) what he plans to deliver in the PM role - this is has to be one of his key deliverables in the next term. Now or never for Gordon to step up....?

after being emergancy housed jan06 I would plead with the goverment to visit some of the slums that people like myself are allocated with 2 small children having complained several times to south lanarkshire council and my local labour mp, i have been astonished at how little respect or help i have been given.......more money on decent housing please ......... I pay my rent and council tax

When did the chancellor get a mandate to give us 2 budgets? We used to get a pre budget statement in November then a budget in March where taxes etc were changed. Now we get a budget statement in November where taxes on petrol, tobacco, alcohol, road tax etc are increased then a budget in March where, you guessed it, petrol, tobacco, alcohol, road tax etc are increased. ie there are now 2 opportunities/annum for this disaster of a chancellor to put his hands into our wallets and take out our money. My pension is up the swanny due to his stealth taxes, his is bomb proof! Best place for Gordon is No 10 where he can't do as much damage.

Check list, check this,the world is already heading for a recession,war and high oil prices have taken there toll on America and YES Britain,cheque list are overdrawn,fasten your belts people the economy built on the principle of mortgage debt is about to burst.

"Reign in inflation"?

Iain Dale is off his trolley.

whats with the family working tax credit and child allowance rises. does't he know for those on benefits that any rise in income from whatever means will surely be taken out by our local governments when rent and council tax benefits are considered. great smokescreen but its not going to make one bit of difference to those people who just manage to stay off the poverty line. we will still be there in 2010 in time to see how the other benefits promised for 'by then' will affect the hard working people trying to 'by then'still stay off the poverty line.

No indication of what is to happen to 10% tax on dividends

I cant find anything anywhere about the new stamp duty thresholds, anyone know where to find out? The budget report pdf is a load of crap with few bits of actually useful info!

A young man named Gordon bought a donkey from farmer george for £100. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day. When the farmer drove up the next day,he said,"Sorry son, but I have some bad news...the donkey is on my truck,but i`m afraid he`s dead." Gordon replied, "Well then can I have my money back." The farmer said, "I can`t do that. I`ve already spent it." Gordony said, "OK then,just unload the donkey anyway." The farmer saked, "What are you going to do with him?" Gordon replied, I`m going to raffle him off." The farmer exclaimed, "You can`t raffle a dead donkey!" But Gordon, with a big smile on his face, said"Sure I can. Watch me. I just won`t tell anybody that he`s dead."
A month later the farmer met Gord0on and asked him, "What happened to that dead donkey?" Gordon replied, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at £2 each and made a profit of £798.00. Totally amazed, the farmer asked, "Didn`t anyone complain that you had stolen their money because you lied about the donkey being dead?" Gordon replied, "The only guy who found out about the donkey being dead was the raffle winner when he came to claim the prize." I gave him his £2 back plus £200, which is double the going rate for the donkey. End result-he thinks I`m a really great guy!"
Gordon grew up and eventually became Chancellor of Britain, and no matter how many times he lied or how much money he stole from the British voters, as long as he gave them back some of the stolen money, most of them thought he was a great guy.

Alex Swanson should google Ulster Resistance & Billy Wright etc and he might get a more realistic and balanced view of the 'conflict', troubles or whatever he wants to call the last 30 years of NI's blighted history.

Nothing in Brown's so called budget was of interest to fixed income council tax payers.

That goes for the discussions am0ng out of touch commentators .