Chancellor Has Ducked Tough Choices - Cable

3.08.56pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 17th Mar 2004

Vince Cable MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor

Vince Cable MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, responding to the Budget, said: "This Budget has a hole right at its heart as the Chancellor has postponed the tough decisions until after the next election."

"The Chancellor has failed to tackle a dangerously unbalanced economy. He has failed to address the trillion pound household debt bubble, which will expose large numbers of families to financial disaster if interest rates rise and house prices fall."

"The unfairness of the taxation system has been left untouched, especially the unfairest tax of all, Council Tax."

"Decision making remains highly centralised. The Chancellor has failed to move serious numbers of civil servants out of London - and the Treasury itself stays firmly in Whitehall. Brown's message is 'do as I say, not as I do'."

"The Government and the Conservatives continue to duck tough spending choices. The question remains, what will the Government stop doing to save money for key spending commitments?"