Gordon Brown delivered a budget with low income families and pensioners with modest savings standing to benefit most yesterday.

The budget announcement paved the way for a May 3 election and prompted the Sun to announce that it will back Blair when polling day comes. It says: "Tony Blair should clear the decks and call the election...Blair gets our support for a second term."

The Telegraph describes the budget as "Brown's election baby boom" whilst the Express says "Everyone A Winner". Donald Macintyre opines that the budget was that of "a man who believes that the election is already won". "And now for the election" says the Guardian's front page.

Brown said the budget put "families first", with new plans for maternity leave, the child tax credit and an extension to the 10 pence starting rate of tax - which will deliver a £30-a-year cut to most taxpayers.

He also set out new plans for a "baby credit" which will be worth over £1000 per year for all but the wealthiest and announced that tax credits for the poorest families will rise faster than inflation.

The chancellor announced a whopping £34 billion in debt repayment this year - more than the entire sum paid by governments over the last 50 years, the chancellor claimed.

Pensioners were given a sizable increase in the state pension, rising by £8 for couples, although Brown relied on previously announced policies rather than any new initiatives in a bid to woo the "grey vote".

Public services were also given a boost, with new £1 billion extra for schools, the war against drugs and hospitals over the next three years.

The Tories rounded on Brown, saying he was simply giving back to taxpayers a sliver of the vast wedge he has taken through stealth taxes. William Hague dubbed Brown the "10 pence up, one pence down" chancellor.

Liberal Democrats said the chancellor should have delivered more for frontline services rather than focusing on tax cuts for all.

Brown's £4 billion boost is a result of lower spending in the first half of this parliament combined with higher than expected tax receipts. Accountants and the city appeared underwhelmed by Brown's statement, which, they said, did not contain the pre-election largesse they had expected.

Most of today's newspapers have full coverage and pull-out supplements on yesterday's budget.