Bygone budgets: March 1991

"A budget for business"
Chancellor: Norman Lamont
Government: Conservative

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday March 3 1999 15.59 GMT

Norman Lamont's nemesis turned 50 this week.

New chancellor Norman Lamont's debut budget speech was delivered "with considerable panache", judged William Keegan of the Observer. With an eye on a general election within the next 13 months, the budget helped take the Tories away from the unpopular legacy of the poll tax. However, this was at the cost of raising VAT, which some Conservatives feared could hit their reputation for low taxation. Labour's shadow chancellor, John Smith, claimed the budget was irrelevant to Britain's needs.

VAT
Raised from 15% to 17.5% to pay for a poll tax cut of £140 a head.

Child benefit
Increased from £1 a week to £9.25 for the eldest child.

Duties
Beer up 2p, wine up 9p, spirits up 56p, 20 cigarettes up 16p

Profit related pay
Previously taxable at half normal rates would be tax free in the future.

Mobile phones
The private use of mobile phones provided by an employer treated as a taxable perk with a value of £200 a year.