Ming Can Stick His Intellectual Rigour Where the Sun Don't Shine

Ming Campbell, with his tongue firmly in his cheek, has just praised the "intellectual rigour" of David Cameron's chippy reply to the budget. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it. And if Cameron showed a bit more passion like he did today, outside of the parliamentary arena, I might just warm to him. One off's aren't enough.

Taxpayers Alliance: "Phew! What a day - two very important developments. This is not a tax cutting budget, it is not a tax raising budget, it is a post-dated cheque which will make most people better off in 13 months time. Now we need to continue to make the case for much more radical reductions in tax rates and a reduced overall tax burden."

Lib Dem MP Steve Webb: "Sitting in the House of Commons today listening to the Budget was like a bad case of deja vu. Most of the style was familiar - the longest period of growth since Attila the Hun, complete omission of bad news like a vast trade deficit, and an obsession with a legion of detailed tweaks to the tax system."

In the blue corner (or is it green?) for the Tories, Dizzy Thinks: "Basically if you're poor your income tax has gone up, if you're not poor (but not rich) your income tax has gone down. Coupled with the realignment of NI, it's a tax raising budget. Incidentally, should anyone mention tax credit increases they are a misnomer because they assume that everyone takes them, and not everyone does."

And in the red corner, Labour's Phil Dilks: "Gordon the Iron Chancellor Brown saved the best 'til last ... Basic income tax down from 22 pence to 20 pence from next April. The lowest for 75 years. Follow that Dave ... He couldn't."