This was Labour’s 12th Budget and Darling’s first. PRimage believe it was probably their most difficult in light of the current gloomy financial environment - but we found it very cautious and unimpressive and yes, dull and disappointing! It was Darling’s chance to prove to everyone - voters, MPs, the media and business - that he’s a competent Chancellor - and to give his Labour MPs and supporters an assurance that the economy is safe in his hands and can weather the storm. What he opted for was a huge borrowing spree to balance his books in the face of economic trouble. Unlike last year’s Budget, there were no exciting surprises or giveaways. For Judy Viitaen and the PRimage team the stark economic reality in this Budget is that Mr Darling will borrow an eyewatering £140bn over the next four years!

The colossal sum is £20bn more than he forecast in his own pre-Budget report just five months ago and some £32bn more than Gordon Brown was predicting in his final Budget last spring. And he plans to really squeeze the consumer by slapping 4p on a pint of beer, 3p on cider and 14p on a bottle of wine - and a thumping 55p on a bottle of Scotch, ending a 10-year freeze on spirit duties…. don’t forget that these duty increases are 6% above inflation. The PRimage team will have to now cross the channel to our house in France more regularly, so that we can replenish our wine supplies!

As the founder and MD of a small PR business, Judy Viitanen supports and welcomes the Chancellor’s plans to reform regulation, improve access to finance by expanding the small firms loan guarantee scheme, help female entrepreneurs and for a goal to give at least 30 per cent of public sector procurement to small and medium-sized businesses. But PRimage would like to see the fine detail on this.

We were interested to hear his comment that the key purpose of this year’s Budget was to ‘ensure stability’ amid the world economic slowdown - and that he denied speculation the economic downturn will cause the government to avert its focus from climate change and child poverty. Northern Rock received an early mention, with Darling arguing government intervention has maintained stability and confidence in the banking system. He also defended the government’s economic reforms since 1997, arguing it is well equipped to deal with rapid global change and economic shocks. In the first confirmation of the impact of the economic downturn, he said economic growth will fall to between 1.75 and 2.25 per cent after standing at three per cent last year - adding that inflation will also rise, but will return to target by 2009.

PRimage take is that perhaps if Brown and Darling weren’t throwing all our money at Northern Rock they’d have a bit more in the kitty! Do you agree? And don’t foget the selling off of the gold reserves? Gold is on its way to $1500 an ounce - more than twice what it was worth when “Prudence” flogged the lot off at bargain basement prices. Judy and the team agree with the reponses from the Opposition: Tory leader David Cameron said the Budget contained ‘truly dreadful figures’. He said Labour was reaping a harvest for overspending in the past. ‘In the years of plenty they put nothing aside’. The new Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg accused Gordon Brown of an ‘act of political ventriloquism’. He stressed that Mr Darling was the Prime Minister’s ‘creature’ who had been left to clear up his economic ‘mess’. …. How true!