Budget 2010: Harman fears Budget will stifle economic growth

Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the Labour Party, has blasted the coalition Government's emergency Budget as "reckless" and says it will "pull the rug from the UK economy."

In response to George Osborne's speech, Harman dubbed the plans as the "Budget of broken promises" and "driven by ideology not economics". Specifically pointing to the rise in VAT from 17.5% to 20%, she says both the Tories and Liberal Democrats pledged not to make an increase during their election campaigns but have chosen to do so in their first Budget. They justify this, she adds, by saying things were worse than they realised and comparing our situation to Greece, which she says is in a completely different situation, is "no alibi for this Tory Budget". The cuts in public spend...