READING'S MPs were divided along political lines over the budget.

Reading West MP Martin Salter said it was the most difficult budget speech any Chancellor has had to make since the Second World War. He said: "I think he did well to emphasise that Britain has to grow its way out of recession and I very much welcome the package of real help for people and businesses who need it most."

But Reading East's MP Rob Wilson called it a dishonest budget. He said: "Families in my constituency will face heavy taxes to pay for Labour's debt crisis."

He said tax rises affected: Anyone earning over £19,000 a year; all new jobs; motorists and responsible drinkers.

"Like all Labour governments New Labour has run out of money," he said.

Chris Lee, partner at accountants James Cowper called it a Robin Hood Budget and a return to Old Labour.

He said: "The government would do well to keep in mind that you have never made a poor man rich by making a rich man poor. The Labour government has shown signs in this Budget that it recognises the depth of the economic crises. However, this Budget, the most important since Labour came to power in 1997, will see tax payers paying for the economic mess for many years to come."

He said much of the benefit of the car scrappage scheme will go to overseas manufacturers and extending the stamp duty threshold would have little effect in Reading. The Income Tax increase, he said showed how serious the economic situation had become.

Steve Rankin, CBI Thames Valley regional director, congratulated the Chancellor on measures to ease trade credit, promoting the low carbon economy and commitment to training, public sector investment and the car scrappage scheme.

He said: "All of these measures should bring benefits to Thames Valley businesses. Unfortunately it was a missed opportunity to reduce business costs through delaying the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions planned for 2011; restoring the rate relief on empty property; and easing business rates generally."

Would-be Reading West Tory MP Alok Sharma said: "Thanks to Gordon Brown, the pied piper of Labour's decade of debt, we have the worst public finances of all the G20 countries and the vast majority of Labour tax rises affect the many and not the few. This budget has done little to help Reading families, Reading pensioners and Reading's many small and medium sized businesses which are the backbone of our local economy."

Student Neal Brown, vice-president of the Lib Dem youth wing Liberal Youth in Reading, said the budget contained "ominous" cuts for higher and further education in the future and added: "This budget represents the last roll of the dice from a Government that is gambling with our future."