Budget response

10.06.25am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 23rd Apr 2009

"Once again we have heard Labour make hollow promises without any really coherent plan on how they intend to carry them through.

"There is very little practical help in this budget for the people and businesses of Cambridge who are struggling to pay their bills in this difficult economic climate.

"Labour has failed, once again, to ease the tax burden for those who can least afford it. Instead they have made a token gesture by introducing the new "fairer" 50p rate of tax for high earners - but failed to close the loopholes that allow it to be exploited.

"Token gestures on environmental policies are entirely insufficient to deal with the urgency of the situation.

"All in all this is a disappointing budget from a party which has doubled our national debt since it came to power and appears to be unable to find any way out."