The Budget 2008

Are you better off?

From pensioners to couples with kids, see in pounds and pence how much better or worse off a month the Budget has made you

A good Budget? Your view

Clickable Budget results

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Drinkers and smokers hit, but no shocks

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Budget in Video: Expert reaction

Speech highlights

Watch all the most important parts of Darling's speech, and the opposition parties' reaction to it

The former insider

Tony Blair's former communications director Lance Price gives his experienced view

The financial strategist

Donna Bradshaw, financial planning strategist at IFG Group, gives her opinion on the Budget measures

The IFA

Jason Witcombe, an IFA with Evolve Financial Planning, isn't too impressed with Darling's performance

Budget in Focus

Plastic bag charges for 'no-action' shops

Charges will be made on plastic bags unless the retail industry reduces their use

Low income savers scheme

The Government will contribute towards savings plans for up to 8million people with low incomes

Emissions targetted

Darling attempted to focus on cutting carbon emissions, but environmentalists say it's 'tinkering at the edges'

Property expert's reaction

Our resident property expert Henry Pryor gives his verdict on the Budget measures on housing and mortgages

Schools plan accelerated

£200m is to be spent on raising standards as schools are given three years to improve or be closed

New tax for greener flying

Changes to the existing duty rules on flights will cost the airlines billions of pounds more in tax

Working families

Child benefit and child tax credits are to be increased as working families benefit from the Budget

Fuel duty and motorists

Some respite was offered to motorists as the Chancellor delays the 2p-a-litre petrol rise until October

Growth 'still too high'

Darling has skated over the UK's economic problems by predicting too high a growth rate, experts say

'Sin taxes' to the fore

It was a budget where drivers of gas guzzling vehicles, and drinkers, paid the price of their behaviour

Doctors welcome alcohol tax increase

The medical profession says the price rises will help to tackle binge-drinking

Budget speech in full

Read exactly what Alistair Darling said in his 50 minute parliamentary speech

Businesses breathe easy

See why small businesses were relieved to see some of the Budget measures and that there were no surprises

Tax changes in 2008

See the tax changes already announced in last year's Budget and pre-Budget, due to take effect from April

Budget Trivia and More

Post-war Chancellors

See the number of Chancellors there have been since 1945, and who has served the longest

Fascinating facts

From the best one-liner used in a Budget speech to the history of the famous briefcase... Find out more

Pre-Budget Report

The build-up: See what Darling had to say in his pre-Budget report from November

Budget 2007 speech

If you're a real Budget nerd, here's the full text of Gordon Brown's speech last year

More Economic News and Comment

Interest rates and you

The Bank of England has been cutting rates in recent months, to the delight of homeowners. Get the latest

Pound hits all time low

Sterling has hit record lows against the Euro and consumer confidence has also dropped further

Service growth picks up

Service sector growth rose at its fastest pace for five months in February, fuelling inflation fears

Banks kick a rung out of the property ladder

Why mortgage lenders are fighting to appear as the worst in the best-buy tables

Road pricing scheme stalled

Government shelves road pricing in favour of car sharing and paying to drive in certain lanes on motorways

House prices to 'fall 6%'

A leading investment bank is predicting a fall in property values in 2008 and a sharp drop in interest rates

Tools and Calculators

What's the tax rate?

Confused by IHT, income tax, CGT, VAT and other taxes? See at-a-glance tables of the current tax rates

Tax deadlines

Miss a tax deadline and face a fine - make sure you know which apply to you. Search by the month

Age allowance checker

Over 65s qualify for extra personal allowances. See if your tax code shows the correct amount

How much now?

If a pint of milk cost 15p in 1979, how much would it cost now? Work out the amazing power of inflation

Check your payslip

Make sure whoever you work for is paying you correctly - just enter a few simple details to find out

Cut your spending

Work out how much hard earned cash you fritter away each month and how much you could be saving

Latest Budget Headlines

Cameron to press 10p tax row
Manufacturers say lost confidence in Brown
Labour loses London
Opposition ousts Labour Party from London
Opposition ousts Brown's Labour Party from London
Counting begins in local vote test for Brown
Brown admits mistakes over 10 pct tax band
Conservatives double lead over Labour
Brown shrugs off Labour critics
Brown says guiding economy main priority

CommentsPlease login to leave a comment or report a post

Added: 30 March 2008 10:12

Phil Robinson says:

In Reply to Denise comment, If you can tell me the alternative party to vote for instead of all the other shambolic parties i would be grateful, Our once great country is being sold down the river big style, NANNY STATE, emissions scam, smoking scam, kids dinner time, speed camera scam, i could go on and on wheres our freedom of choice, Left to some beurocrat who has no grasp of reality.

Added: 24 March 2008 15:45

Denise says:

In reply to Phils comment, i for one would NEVER vote BNP. I agree that this government should face a vote of no confidence, i agree that the "common man" should make a stronger stand against what all of the politicians are doing to this country. But vote BNP....are you mad!!!!

Added: 22 March 2008 15:49

Phil Robinson says:

What this country needs is a mass protest like the one for poll tax, The one that brought Maggie down, I personally will be voting BNP even if they only had one thing on there agenda i bet its the one this country want, just ask anyone.

Added: 21 March 2008 20:45

bob2 says:

lets all vote this ****** of a goverment out starting from now!!!!!!!!

Added: 18 March 2008 18:19

Denise says:

I am disgusted with the government giving themselves huge pay rises. I work in the NHS and we like many other workers recieved only a minimal pay rise which will be swallowed up by the rises in various taxes, increases in council taxes etc. Why should the government be allowed to give themselves a pay rise of such huge proportions given that they already earn a huge salary and get all of the benifits we so often hear about in the news..it seems that all of the increases we mere mortals have to face in sucessive budgets could be cut if MP's reduced the demands they make on the salary front.

Added: 18 March 2008 15:55

larry kelly says:

no confidence in the government we all should be able to vote them out for goodness sake we put them in LETS VOTE NO CONFIDENCE

Added: 18 March 2008 15:52

larry kelly says:

I am on incapacity benefit due to ischemic heart condition that is degenerative I had appointment lastr year with government doctor that puts ticks on a piece of paper and said I was fit for work I explained about my dizzy spells due to medication that doctors were trying out to stabilize my condition made no difference I

Added: 18 March 2008 00:53

Rob White says:

With regards to Alcohol duty, its the pubs that are suffering. I have been working in the trade as a chef for nearly 13years, and it just seems to be a big pick on the pubs thing!! Supermarkets are the problem because of the cheapness. Where I work we have had to put all of our prices up including food (its only a family run business)!! 24hour licencing isn't the problem either because there is only a handful of places that have a 24hour licence in England and Wales. It just annoys me with the media because it doesn't explain things properly the recent change in the licencing law gives you the opportunity to apply for a 24hour licence but the application and be refused by the licencing officer with the local council and/or the local police force.

Added: 17 March 2008 18:26

pete says:

this goverment is 100% anti working class everything they do is against the working class..FUEL working class folk hit the hardest (and dont shout public transport)a joke ROAD TAX working class hit the hardest IRAQ it's the young mainly working class hero's taking the brunt there(let's get out now none of us want this war} this party has been instrumental in closing our working men's club's (alway's was a labour stronghold} and our pub/s we cant even go out for a ciggie cos we cant afford to now.we must vote them out but who the ****** can we vote in????? i suppose it will have to be a Pole or Lithuanian or any of the numerous economic migrant's that france encourage's to come here and our goverment think's more of than us

Added: 15 March 2008 22:39

Gill Barnes says:

When are we going to be happy! Just look at the grinding poverty of the third world and put it all into context. They have nothing to eat and every day is a struggle just to stay alive but all us westerners can do is whinge about the extra cost of our luxury gas-guzzling cars and all the trappings of so called "western civilisation". We have nothing to moan about.