Public panel in Bolton underwhelmed by Budget

A panel of people in Bolton have given the Chancellor's Spring Budget a lukewarm reception.

Speaking to ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi after Philip Hammond outlined his spending plans in the House of Commons, the panellists said the government's plans did not go far enough to helping working familes, business owners or pensioners.

Nursery business owner Jane Morrissey said the only thing that might help businesses struggling to pay a hike in rates, would be the extra £300m promised for local authorities.

She added that she expected the next four years to be a struggle.

Farmer Geoff Holiday was underwhelmed by most of the Chancellor's announcements and said that he felt as if savers especially are "standing still".

He added that the plan to make businesses fill in accounts every three months would be a burden for some self-employed people and would lead to people paying tax on money that they had not yet received.

School governor and mother Clare welcomed plans for additional funding for a further 110 new free schools on top of the current commitment to 500, but she said the priority should be to help existing State schools who she believes are currently "struggling because of cuts".

She added that plans to double free childcare to 30 hours for working parents was welcomed but insisted that it will not work without proper funding.