What is the current state of play on Brussels' plan to fine us for the parlous state of our economy?
This extra 2.7 billion is not going to leave much in the coffers to pay the fine, is it?

Mike Poulsen, Reading, Berkshire

I'm a 61 yr old male living alone. I have worked for 44years. My pensions total £8300 pa, plus I get some interest from prudently saving over the years. The tax office confirmed I will pay £195 more tax but no tax credits as I have savings, so even with this latest change I'm still £75 worse off!

Brian, llandudno,

Fight back! 8:00p.m. Friday 08/08/2008, congregate at your local Town Hall. Let them know enough is enough and stop wasting our hard earned money, at least until the "credit crunch" is over. freeze (lower!) petrol duty. Force banks to pass on OUR £50 billion to assist new mortgages not ignore it!

Russell Ewins, Barnet, Herts, England

The "mistake" Brown and Darling made wasn't miscalculating the effect of their policy on the poorest taxpayers; they knew exactly what that would be. Their mistake was assuming there would be no significant protest. In short, they underestimated their own backbenchers.

Tom Welsh, Basingstoke,

Debts and more debts. The country, surely, must be on the verge of bankrupcy. When will Brown, like Callaghan, go to the IMF with the begging bowl?

Tom, Crewe

The Government is being generous? With whose money?
Wakey, Wakey!

Glauca, London, UK

Sorry David Green but I can't sympathise with "over 65s earning over £40k p.a." who are now losing sleep over "£600 at 20% tax". Get real: the 10p fiasco affects £120 or £600 for people who are earning only £6000 a year so they really can't afford to lose that money. That's the point!!

James, Bristol,

Save billions by taking an axe to the Civil Service and the buearacries of local government - specifically, the swathes of useless middle management and senior management who add no value. The Guardian may scream about it (because they advertise for all these jobs) but we would all be better off

Mark, London, UK

A load of grumpy people post comments here. Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth. The Government is being generous. I am not going to complain so well done Mr Brown/Darling. I am a Labour voter and always will be. Mr Brown should not listen to such nasty, spiteful people.

Tom, Crewe,

Can we get away from the 'unelected' PM jibe constantly and boringly repeated by those with no historical knowledge.
Eden,MacMillan,Douglas-Home,Callaghan and Major all became Prime Minister in mid-term.
Not one held an early election to validate his assumption of office.

John, Sheffield,

it is startling that the UK has lower social mobility than the U.S. (it does...look it up) considering how much money they pump into social welfare. everyone is taxed to death with so little to show for it. i went to a UK hospital for the first time a few weeks ago and literally walked out.

James, London, UK

How can the times say"there will be no losers" in A Darling's mini budget.
What of people over 65 earning over £40835. We will not receive the increased personal allowance, do not receive age related allowance because earnings are more than 28990 but will lose £600 worth of 20p tax. Is this ageist?

David Green, Ilford, Essex

The goverment accepts that abolising the 10p rate was a mistake. I can not understand why they can not introduce it agian instead of spending great effort to find cleaver ways to compensate those who lost out.

Suresh Kumar, wembley, middlesex

He gives some of the poorest workers - only some - their money back, he gives others more, ostensibly to help with fuel and food costs, and come September he'll increase the duty on fuel!
They lie, they deny, they evade.
Most of all, they are incompetent.

CS, Norwich, UK

Beware Crewe and Nantwich the last lot of votes Zanulab. bought in return for Northern Crock - 50% of the jobs are going - anyway. So much for political promises - but you all knew that didn't you when you voted for them- thrice?

Victor D., Chelmsford, Essex.,

So we borrow another 2.7 billion for a short term solution. The lowest paid in this country will find themselves in exactly the same position at the start of the next financial year and the arguments will start all over again. Mr.Brown nearly got away with it this year, but he's hoping to next year.

Peter, Brixham, Devon

On a day when 37 post offices will close here in the North East, for the Government to find £2.7billion to save Gordon Brown's skin is the most sickening act of political cynicism I have seen.

Michael, Durham, England

If Brown & Darling think they have got it right then why not call an election. That would leave no doubt if the policies of Gordon Brown are working.
The issue is clear UK PLC is in a mess and it will take the next goverment a number of years to fix the problem.
GB was not elctect to be PM.

John, Wolverhampton, UK

I think that we *should* welcome the move. The 10p tax band complicated the system, and so it is good that it is gone. The personal allowances are about half what the government considers is enough to live on, so should rise. Lowering the 40% makes the simplification cost nothing. More please!

Roger Pearse, Ipswich,

If we do not cut Public spending immediately we will have a sterling crisis. Who is going to leave their money in a UK account to be depreciated by inflation and sterling devaluation? That is the dilemna facing the BoE and Government.

Steve Marchant, Broadhempston, UK

It strikes me that Darling has done exactly the right thing.

In the next budget he should lower or freeze the threshold for 40% to pay for it.

Re-distribution of wealth. As it should be.

Dave, Edinburgh, UK

One time bomb after another, can´t these politicians count? The 1.1 million who are not fully compensated are the poorest of the poor. Anyone with income of less than 10,500 pounds will still be paying more tax to subsidise the better off. Frank Field, bow your head in shame.

David Carr, Valencia, Spain

"a welcome reduction and simplification in personal taxes"
James Tumbridge.

Where on earth did the "simplification" come into it? Darling has now moved the starting rate for tax away from that for NI. This means complication not simplification!

Tony, Portsmouth, England

My grandchildren show greater fiscal wisdom with their pocket money than this chancellor and his boss do with the UKs finances. I suspect the cost of the votes they wish to buy is higher than they think.

mike gee, bournemouth, uk

Due to the unexpected escalation in fuel prices this year it is estimated that the Treasury will benefit to the tune of £9bn in additional taxes this financial year.

Darling hasn't even offset this tax change against that, he's borrowed to pay for it. It's heads I win, tails you lose to New Labou

John, Bournemouth,

Any business in this situation would immediately cut costs. Get the idea, Darling?

PaulD, Essex, UK

Let's be honest about this: the Labour Party has used £2.7 billion of OUR money to save Brown's job - because he surely would have gone if the Finance Bill were defeated. He may well, in the process, buy a win in Crewe & Nantwich, but he has also bought a lot of longer term problems as well.

Sam, London, UK

Anybody who has read any of the various articles/books from The Taxpayers Alliance will see the enormity of the scale of government waste. Therefore anybody with half a brain in government (alas sadly lacking) could find a myriad of opportunities to cut public spending.

Malcolm Bright, Port Andratx, Spain

more tax simplification please!just keep everything simpler.let's hope the queen's speech will come up with less lagislation but more efficiency.lagislate less but govern effectively.darling atleast calmed nerves but watch brown at PMQ today messing things up!the man is clumsy.he should go very soon

john small, canterbury, uk

its asad reflection of a lost empire, the movers and shakers are else where and the most expensive dole office in the country called the house of parliment its time to give power to scotland and wales and rid us of the cesspit westminister.

michael , cahersiveen-adams town, madness

Oh come off it David Mitchell, it's borrowing to announce a bare faced bribe the week before a by election. Nothing less.

Jonathan, Southend,

Gordon Mcbean and Co. are now addicted to buying votes. First it was 50 Billion to save the skins of the North East MP's, now its 2.7 Billion to save a seat in the North west. Can anyone work out the cost per voter? So that we'll have an idea how much he'll have to spend to buy the next election

Derek, swindon,

'Mr Darling’s statement succeeded in its immediate goal: Labour MPs cheered....'

These would be the same delighted supporters of the 2007 Budget from Buggins Brown when he announced his tax cut and abolished the 10p rate?

m collins, Leeds,

The Government's reputation for prudence and sound financial management has been wiped out -at a stroke.
Of course--bribery is even worse, but that is a newer and now separate issue.

WILLIAM GRIERSON, Kimpton, UK

Once again the Tories are going to have to spend years sorting out Labour's financial mess.

robert everitt, wolverhampton,

There are two ways for the Chancellor to balance the books: increase taxation or reduce public spending. Just as Joe Bloggs is having to adjust his budget to fund the things that are essential like food and fuel, so should the government by cutting expenditure on things other than socially benefits.

Geoff Naylor, Winchester, England, UK

Do I have this right?
Tax allowances will be raised, but for this FY only? So next year the fiasco starts again, so it is all for a bye election.
Please someone correct me if Im wrong - and Im sure they will!

Bill Glanvill, Horsham, Sussex, England

The lengths this Government will go to, to become unelectable, in order to have nothing to do with the 2012 Olympics, amazes me.

ronnie, Bucks, uk

When this government finally falls the country will be in so much debt ,it will take years to recover.
Thank you ' prudence' Brown, you have 'Bean' a disaster. Your moral compass has lead the country straight on to the rocks.

Roger, swindon,

At last Gordon Brown has shown he is capable of listening and being flexible. Although this was undoubtedly mishandled at the start, the end result has been a welcome reduction and simplification in personal taxes at just the right time.

James Tumbridge, London, United Kingdom

It's perfectly sensible at this stage in the economic cycle to be borrowing more and pumping money into the economy. Darling sorted out the 10p debacle and provided a much need fiscal stimulus. It was exactly the right thing to do.

David Mitchell, Cambridge,

So now we can begin to add up the "Brown score"

(1) Selling gold at $280 ish - £2-3 billion?
(2) Pension raid - 10 years at £5 billion each year?
(3) Cost of PFI deals into the future? £100's of billion?
(4) Cost of final salary schemes for doctors, administrators etc etc?
Great chancellor!!

Mike , Newbury, UK