Border George Osborne News

Speaking in Glasgow Chancellor George Osborne said, "the conclusion is clear, the pound we share works well. The saying goes - if it ain't broke don't fix it, but I say, if it ain't broke don't break it."

He added, "I want the best for Scotland and for all our United Kingdom. We're better together."

• Money
• George Osborne
• Scotland

Speaking in Glasgow the Chancellor has said:

The SNP asserts that it would be in everyone's interests for an independent Scotland to keep the pound as part of a eurozone-style sterling zone.

But the Treasury analysis we are publishing today shows that is not the case. Let's stop speculating and look at the evidence.

Would the rest of the UK family agree to take that risk? Could a situation where an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK share the pound and the bank of England be made to work? Frankly it's unlikely because there is real doubt to the answers of these questions.

In other words the only way to be sure of keeping the pound as Scotland's currency is to stay in the United Kingdom.

• Money
• George Osborne
• Scotland

• New Employment Allowance will take the first £2,000 off the employer National Insurance bill of every company in the country
• Around 450,000 small businesses - one third of all employers - will pay no employer National Insurance at all after introduction of Employment Allowance in April next year

• Small firms will be given help through Government procurement budgets, growth vouchers and controls on regulators' charges
• The Capital Gains Tax holiday will be extended
• Corporation tax to be reduced by a further 1% to 20% in April 2015
• Small company and main rates of corporation tax merged at 20p

• UK
• George Osborne
• Economy

Here are some of the measures announced by Chancellor George Osborne that could affect voters' wallets:

• Rise in personal allowance brought forward to 2014, meaning no income tax on the first £10,000 of earnings
• Tax free child care vouchers worth £1,200 per child and increased support for families with children on universal credit
• Flat rate pension worth £144 a week to be brought forward to 2016

• Fuel duty rise scrapped
• Help for Equitable Life policy holders extended to those who bought with-profits annuities before 1992, with payments of £5,000 and extra £5,000 for those on lowest incomes
• Planned 3p rise in beer duty tax scrapped and replaced by a 1p cut in duty on a pint of beer

• New Help-to-Buy scheme for those struggling to find mortgage deposits will include £3.5 billion for shared equity loans, and a Government interest-free loan worth 20% of the value of a new build house
• Cap-on social care costs to come in in 2017 and protect savings above £72,000

• Money
• Economy
• Budget

Around 450,000 small businesses across the country - one third of all employers - will pay no employer National Insurance at all after the introduction of Employment Allowance in April next year.

• Politics
• Budget
• George Osborne

A new Employment Allowance will take the first £2,000 off the employer National Insurance bill of every company in the country.

• Politics
• Budget
• George Osborne

There will be no income tax on the first £10,000 of earnings as a rise in personal allowance is brought forward to 2014.

• Politics
• Budget
• George Osborne

The planned 3p rise in beer duty tax has been scrapped and replaced by a 1p cut in duty on a pint of beer, amidst loud cheering from the chamber.

There will, however, be a planned rise for all other alcohol duties.

• Politics
• Budget
• George Osborne

September's planned fuel duty rise has been scrapped in today's Budget announcement.

• Politics
• Budget
• George Osborne