Thursday 25 March 2010

Budget 2010: keep calm and carry on

Seeking to create political dividing lines with the Conservatives by making a case for intervention, the Chancellor provided only a small lift to a struggling economy over the coming year through a phased increase in fuel duties and a two-year stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers paid for by a 5% "mansion tax" on property sales of more than £1m.


AT-A-GLANCE
  • Deficit not as big as predicted
  • First time buyers stamp duty cut
  • Planned petrol duty rise staggered
  • 20,000 university places pledged
  • Force state banks to lend more
  • Crackdown on tax evasion
  • Tax hike on strong cider
  • Growth package to boost jobs
  • Bank accounts for all citizens
  • Green investment fund
Meanwhile in a YouGov poll for the Sun published last night the Conservative lead over Labour had fallen to two points from four earlier in the week, with the Tories at 36%, Labour at 34% and the Liberal Democrats at 17%.

Read the full Guardian article here.