Budget 2012: Top tweets on today’s announcements

AS PER usual, politicos, journos and the public took to Twitter to discuss the Chancellor’s Budget speech. With so much of it having been leaked prior to today, there had already been a lot of talk about the measures laid out by George Osborne.

However, his speech prompted frantic discussion in the Twittersphere, with many taking to the microblogging site to express their dismay, especially at what they saw as tax breaks for the wealthy.

Assistant Editor of The Scotsman @petermacmahon: Modern tax system, fit for the modern world says Osborne. That would be good.

Political blogger @guidofawkes: Shout out for Adam Smith, bit of SME simplification, hike for pensioners, statement telling how gov wastes your money.

The Guardian’s Assistant Editor @michaelwhite: Health puritanism will put 37p on 20 fags, booze awaits white paper, smarter laws to tax mobile online (but offshore) gambling

BBC Political Correspondent @chrismasonBBC: 50p top income tax rate “highest in the G20” says Osborne, “widely acknowledged that it’s harming the British economy.”

Freelance journalist and blogger with The Spectator @alexmassie: If headlines are about the 50p rate then Osborne has had a bad day; if not then, politically speaking, he’s got away with it.

John O’Shea, Labour candidate for Birmingham City Council @politicalhackUK: So, campaigning headlines: tax cuts for 14,000 millionaires; tax hikes for pensioners; no help for drivers

‘Larry the Cat,’ a parody account of the Downing Street cat @number10cat: Will the clocks still go back an hour on Sunday after George Osborne puts us all back 20 years in his budget?

Leader of the Labour Party @Ed_Miliband: Completely the wrong priority to cut taxes for the richest people earning over £150k. We need action to get jobs and growth moving.

BBC’s Business Editor Robert Peston @peston: HMRC says cut in top rate of tax will hand £3bn to top-rate tax payers, but those dodging taxes will stop dodging by £2.9bn. Plausible?

And former Deputy Prime Minister @johnprescott: Cameron gives 14,000 millionaires (him & Osborne included) a £40k tax cut funded by grannies. Shameful.