@Anthony. Just in case you don't see the racism. I have replaced a few nouns to help you.

I see your fellow Christians have been up to there usual tricks in Norway ! But hey, the poor little souls are just misunderstood ain't they Anthony?

Fighting? More like floundering! It was embarrassing to watch.

I agree,Mehdi. A good, knockabout performance by Ed with some excellent jokes: I particularly liked the nod or shake your head - turning the tables on Cameron. I also wonder how long it will take to winkle out the details of Gideon's tax avoidance: obviously there in spite of his synthetic repugnance.

mehdi, this was stupid. Milliband already knew everything coming, hardly surprising he had some good lines waiting. Even most Grannies could have done as good a job - and most i've known a far better one. His insincerity gets worse the harder he tries, and he *really* doesn't care - after all, he has identical economic policies.

miliband didn't pick up on the lack of growth, he just grabbed what Osbo deliberately offered - a small attack on pensioners. The true story of this budget is its lack of a sane economic strategy - a lack reflected in Miliband's cabinet. Along with zero talent.

what Alan Dunsmore above said is spot on, although i couldn't agree with his choices of Labour right-wing war-mongers and rights-abusers.

even just thinking about ANY of them reminds me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8GvLKTsTuI&ob=av2e

i fear for this summer, Osbo and his tag-team buddies 'in the red corner' have left almost no hope for the great majority. Where this will end, no-one knows. But after last week, it is less likely to be a nice place. Frankly, it looks like war. No wonder the Tories want to put 10s of THOUSANDS of soldiers and private mercenaries on UK streets during the Olympics. They can no longer justify calling themselves the Govt, they lost legitimacy as soon as Osborne opened his mouth.

rioters get imprisoned, whilst bankers get rewarded for making people homeless and destitute. Osbo and his mates should be in prison, not all those teenagers.

looked his usual stale self to me but just a tad less robotic. him and balls what a great team NOT! we are wasting our time.

why not get chuka in. he looks fresh and actually is worth listening too.

Hi Mahdi,
keep up the good work. And ignore the ignorant or racist.

I think EM delivers when it is necessary, though there are plenty around who want to beat him down. The question which is uppermost in my mind is this: how come Labour despite all the shocking economic news, the unpopular ConDem policies, is not riding high in the polls. Does this mean that the electorate does not trust Labour and still blame them for the economic mess left behind.

@Mehdi

Given a choice between Progress and Ed Miliband, which would you go for?

Do you know how much Ed Balls will get back from the cut of 50% to 45%? Enough for couple of extra houses perhaps? There is no "me" in "hypocritical freeloader" as Balls would say.

Do your recall the good old days when economists called a spade a spade.
Direct and Indirect tax! Unearned Income. Married Man's allowance. Mortgage allowance.
Maybe indirect tax has a new name - flat tax. So democratic. Everybody pays the same tax - billionaire and poverty-stricken.
Those allowances - was it Nige Lawson who abolished these allowances whilst reducing the rich man's burden - are no longer allowable unless Dave and George try another three card trick!

Mark

I haven't seen it yet and am just about to but given Mehdi Hasan is the biggest sycophant there is when it comes to Ed Miliband I have to treat this piece with caution. And even if he has done briliantly as Gerry Tierney says it's too rare a thing. I remember Mehdi Hasan saying at the height of the phone hacking scandal that Miliband had come of age and then his ratings started to plummet even further. I like Ed Miliband and I want him to be Prime Minister but I wish some on the left would stop looking at him and seeing some sort of Churchillian warrior that does not exist.

Well done Ed, not a great fan of yours but hopefully that was a performance to build on, and to prove doubters like myself that you deserve to lead my party.

Well done Edward that ride in the Rolls Royce on your sickie day from your future donour perked you up a bit at least.

He is certainly at his best when being more forceful and less collegiate.

I think he is finding his voice and that is great.

We just need that vision, to inspire and to say there is a better way.

I see your fellow Mohammedans have been up to there usual tricks in France ! But hey, the poor little souls are just misunderstood ain't they Mehdi ?

Why do these right wing nutbars insist on obsessing about the NS? Anybody with a brain cell and an ounce of honesty can see Osborne is an incompetent whose primary objective is to serve the interests of his class.

@ Marathonman.
You - Marathonman - 'on the run' ?!

I thought that the budget had some good points to it,such as increasing earnings before paying tax. I also think that we should not be punishing people for having the nerve to make a success of there life. However we have to close these tax loopholes which allow people to benefit from the infrastructure and stability of our country (which we pay for) without contributing there fair share. One more thing. Mehdi, I have always wandered what the response of the opposition would be, if the chancellor did not cut the 50p tax rate for high earners. Would he say (A) you are doing the right thing and move on to the next part of the budget. Or (B) this just shows that he is weak in the face of criticism in order to score political points. If you think he would say the latter then his critique is surely an irrelavence.

looking at the comments post by those right wing Morons attacking Mehdi on his beleives and Ed on his politics, makes me wonder how the sadness in their life reflect on what they post..they must be lonely. give those groupies a hug especailly that racist guy

"George Osborne stood at the despatch box, with his glass of water, and performed a glorified version of a TV-news-channel paper review, confirming the various leaks and briefings to the press"

"It was, in my view, a brilliant speech - especially given how difficult and awkward it is for leaders of the opposition to respond to Budget statements in the Commons, at such short notice."

If osborne merely confirmed what was widely leaked then surely ed had plenty of notice before giving his response?

Brilliant performance! Millibands'problem though is getting rid of the Blairite Right and it's camp followers ,some of whom write here.

@ Anthony, you show yourself for who you are.

A RACIST.

I thought EM did really well. Funny, incisive and to the point. Cameron and Gideon's faces were a picture. Cameron's usual smugness and Gideon's usual condescending sneer was replaced by a noticeble discomfort. Clegg looked like - well Clegg. After Gideon's snide remarks about Wallace and Grommit, EM's allusion to Downton Abbey was fantastic.

I think the exasperation on the government benches came from listening to the reply by the chief architects of the current economic disaster. I would be exasperated if I had to listen to that pair of twats lecture me after the mess that was left behind by Balls and David...sorry Ed Miliband.

Ed is good but he got left a bad legacy. There is no hope for Labour if they have a leadership contest now, it is just too near the election. Anyone who wants to help Tony gaze at his navel should head off to the Middle-East, maybe they can start a war there - who knows!; it's time the pendulum swung away from Cameron though, we've had his empty 'big society' and all his smart remarks. All he does is use antithesis. I wouldn't even buy a toaster off him.