Live Blogging The Budget

12:35 If the badger faced sock puppet says "stability" one more time, I shall have to assassinate him and his boss.
12:36 He's taking credit for a Decade of Stabilty and suggested that GDP per head has grown to "second only to that of the USA", without mentioning that disposable income after tax has fallen in real terms. His Government has taken all that GDP per head, and more. Cunt.
12:39 Apparently inflation is not a risk. I don't believe him. do you? CPI is the Wrong measure....
12:40 Apparently the UK is not broke. Apparently the UK is well placed to weather this down turn. No hole in the budget here. No growth in borrowing... not me guv... look the other way.
12:41 "Given the fundamental strength of our Government finances"... shameless. It really is shameless. Watch the PSBR forecast raised to £43 bn. I doubt he'll meet even this target he's talking about. He knows no-one will care.
12:46 Defence - "the longest period of expansion in the Defence budget in a generation". Bollocks. The budget was cut, as commitments receded. We're now fighting two wars... He's denying the forces are underfunded and his crocodile tears of "tribute" will not buy extra choppers for the 'stan. Cunt.
12:51 You do not "invest" in public services. You spend.
12:52 I'm bored by this tedious, relative child poverty target. It's meaningless...
12:54 David Miliband is nodding like a donkey giving a blow-job
12:55 He's just spent 70 million of Private companies' money. (Utility social tariffs, in case you're wondering)
12:57 Committed to a "stable business tax regime" unless you're an AIM investor, Private equity fund or a Non Domiciled individual or pension fund.
13:00 The Chancellor has just made an unconstitutional promise, binding the next parliament to his bizzare Non-Dom scheme. Twat.
13:02 by 2011 "every school is and 'improving school'", apparently. Does he realise how damaging this tedious micro-management is for all sectors of public and private life?
13:05 Doubling money spent on transport links. Apart from the roads naturally. Road pricing is still on the cards. The motorist will pay, and receive nothing. Plus ca Change...
13:08 £8Bn on 70,000 new affordable homes for key workers (in Labour's client state). He's offered them a deferral to their stamp duty too. How nice for them. I'm paying for it.
13:10 Long term, fixed rate mortgages will be encouraged - in order that we can eventually join the Euro, despite the fact they will inevitably cost more than a short term fixed rate and floating rate mortgages. Of course he didn't say this...
13:11 Climate change .... blah... blah.... tax.... target... blah. Go further.... blah... committee... 80%.... blah.... Everyone must play part... eco fascism...blah... totalitarianism...
13:14 Plastic bag tax... is there anything more symbolic of this government's pathetic micro management for short-term headlines than this, feeble, counter productive policy? Eco Weenies (environmental charities) will benefit from this largesse....
13:16 Showroom tax on cars... pointless, gesture politics.
13:17 No Smoking day.... 11p on a pack. 14p on wine, 6p on a pint and 3p on cider. Miserable bastard. 6% over inflation, All for child poverty... so that's ok.
13:20 Hypothecated taxes don't work, so why should hypothecated payments. Winter fuel payments should be reflected in a higher pension


Conclusion: A total non event. The economic forecasts are not worth the paper they're written on, but he hasn't really made things any worse. In that, he's better than his predecessor.

David Cameron: "the highest tax burden in our history"
Ed Balls: "So what"

I think that sums up this government's attitude. I hate them all so very, very much.