TAUNTON MP Jeremy Browne showed little enthusiasm for Wednesday's Budget from his sound-a-like namesake Gordon Brown, the Chancellor.

Mr Browne said there was little scope for dramatic changes due to Government debt, but the Budget had made the tax system more complex and increased levels of regulation.

He added: "There were some worthwhile initiatives, including more support for building insulation and some minor assistance for potential home owners.

"Council tax bills have almost doubled since 1997 and are causing hardship for many people on low or fixed incomes.

"The biggest defect of this Budget was the failure to address the real unfairness of the council tax."

Retailers are unhappy about the 9p hike on a packet of cigarettes Roger Bendell, South-West spokesman for Retailers Against Smuggling, said: "UK tobacco tax levels are the highest in the EU. With this tax rise, the Chancellor has just created greater opportunities for the smugglers.

Campaign for Real Ale chief executive Mike Benner said: "Such high costs increase the risk that people will no longer visit the pub as frequently, therefore putting the viability of community pubs at risk and threatening the livelihood of hard-working licensees."

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET: *very low polluting cars will be exempt from road tax, gas guzzlers such as 4X4s will be taxed at £210 a year.

*petrol duty frozen until September.

*cigarettes up 9p a packet, wine up 4p a bottle, beer up 1p a pint, duty on spirits, sparkling wine and cider frozen.

*inheritance tax threshold rises to £285,000 and to £325,000 within four years.

*starting point for stamp duty on homes to increase to £125,000 and £970million pumped into shared equity schemes to help 35,000 new homeowners onto the property ladder.

*the threshold on which workers pay income tax and National Insurance rises by 3%.

*£250 to be paid into child trust funds for all children aged seven, children from poorer homes to get £500.