Brendan Ryan (Labour)

——and now that the buddies have got rich and are spending their money outside the country, there is not much point in continuing them? One wonders about the strategy in the same way that one wonders about many other things.

There are welcome aspects to the budget. Any attempt to reduce the burden of tax on people on middle incomes is very welcome but we must remind ourselves that the Government said only 20% of people would pay tax at the higher rate. That is a reasonable position. It has singularly failed to do it and has done that which it accused others of doing.