Economics / Markets

The FTSE 100 index edged higher in early trading following gains in the US last night.

Britain could be forced to contribute more than £3bn to a Portugal bailout package following the Lisbon government's failure to push through its austerity measures on Wednesday.

Informed Choice managing director Martin Bamford says the Chancellor's announcement of a three-year freeze on new regulations for small businesses could derail the RDR.

Fund managers believe the revised growth forecast for the UK, revealed in today's Budget, is still too optimistic and may not be an achievable target.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said today the UK's economic recovery will lag previous recoveries in the 1980s and 1990s.

The price of UK 10-year government bonds stayed higher after the country's growth forecast for the year was slashed from 2.1% to 1.7% in George Osborne's Budget.

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George Osborne has said estates will benefit from a 10% discount in inheritance tax (IHT) if they leave part of the money to charity, though the cut translates to just a 4% reduction in the final bill.

The Chancellor has scrapped next week's planned rise in fuel duty as part of a package of sweeteners to help "hard-up" families.

It took George Osborne a little under one hour to deliver his second package of measures as Chancellor today.