UK budget update

Alistair Darling, the chancellor, is going to:

• Increase green taxes
• Reform tax on heavy carbon-emitting cars. Cars that emit more than 121 grams of CO2 a kilometer will be hit hardest.
• Planned 2p rise on fuel postponed until October
• Showroom tax comes in fro April 2010. New car tax bands for CO2 April 2009
• Give energy subsidies for poor people and pensioners. £400 benefit for over 80s. Lower tarrifs for prepay meter users.
• Growth forecast cut
• Inflation will return to 2% in 2009
• Spending on child poverty up £1.9bn
• Changes to capital gains tax to go ahead
• Booze duties go up 6%  (bastard) and will go up 2% every year for the next bit