Supporter: Monks

Trade unions have given strong support to the measures announced by Gordon Brown on Wednesday.

The TUC said it was an "honest and intelligent budget" which had got the balance broadly right.

On public services, the TUC's general secretary, John Monks, predicted there would be public support for tax rises to pay for health.

"The country knows that it cannot have excellent public services without paying for them. There are no quick fixes or gimmicks to improving public services, it will take hard work, sustained investment and partnership with staff," he said.

There was also support for the training tax credit but with it came a warning that statutory legislation on workers rights had to be brought forward.

But trade unionists believe Brown had not gone far enough in raising the tax burden on high-income earners. The unions said the chancellor had failed by not rasing income tax on those earning more than £100,000 a year.

They also believe that chancellor could have done more to encourage greater pension provision. Monks called for the government to do more to halt employers attempts to ditch final salary pensions.

But he said Brown had managed to cover all bases whilst setting out the government's future direction.

"In the best sense of the word, this is a highly political budget. It recognises the common interests of core supporters and middle England, it helps tackle poverty and gives the government clear themes for the rest of this term," he said.