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Voters take a positive view of most of the other main Budget measures, notably the increase in the individual savings limit from £7,200 to £10,200 (65 per cent); the extension of the stamp duty holiday (58 per cent); the £2,000 new car scrappage incentive (47 per cent); and the two percentage point rise in alcohol and tobacco duty (45 per cent).

The sole exception was the two percentage point increase in fuel duty, opposed by 68 per cent and backed by 20 per cent.

About three fifths of the public do not think that the Budget will make any difference. People are more positive about its impact on the country (22 per cent good against 11 per cent bad), than on them and their families (8 per cent good and 28 per cent bad).

The poll questioned 518 people between 5pm and 9pm on Wednesday and measures immediate reactions to the television coverage of the Budget. As such, it has a wider margin of error than a normal, larger poll. The main questions on the measures were asked by Populus for a seminar organised by the Edelman public affairs company with additional ones asked for The Times.

Initial reaction to the Budget as a whole was gloomy, with 64 per cent expecting the economy to get worse over the next three to six months, up from 52 per cent in a poll over the weekend. Only 33 per cent think that it will improve, down from 43 per cent.

However, there is a roughly even split — 51 to 47 per cent — over Mr Darling’s forecast that the economy will start growing again towards the end of the year.

The public seems to accept the need for tough measures in the best interests of the country and this may explain why Mr Brown and Mr Darling have moved ahead of David Cameron and Mr Osborne as the best team to manage the economy, by 38 to 35 per cent. Since last weekend backing for the Tory team has slipped from 45 per cent. There is an even split — 48 to 49 per cent — on whether the state of the public finances is “significantly the fault of Mr Brown and the Labour Government”. Nearly three fifths (57 per cent) believe that the Government is doing a reasonable job of trying to deal with the effects of a global recession that is hitting all major economies hard. Four in ten disgree.

Almost three fifths, 58 per cent, agree that Labour governments “end up ruining Britain’s public finances by spending too much and not managing the economy prudently”, with 39 per cent disagreeing.

— Start tightening your belts: the woman Gordon Brown has lined up to write the next Budget is not at all happy about projected public sector borrowing (Phillipe Naughton writes).

Daniela Oliveros, 23, from Venezuela, was one of many young people called to question the Prime Minister about his £1.2 billion youth jobs package yesterday when he opened his post-Budget roadshow at the Prince’s Trust London offices.

She told the Prime Minister that she had a real interest in British politics and needed to arrange a two-week work placement. “I was wondering if your office would be willing to offer me the opportunity?”

“How can I refuse!” Mr Brown replied. “Let’s sort it out.”

As Ms Oliveros sat down in her front-row seat, Mr Brown leaned towards her and added: “I look forward to that. You can write the next Budget.”

Ms Oliveros, who came to Britain four years ago to learn English and stayed after marrying a Briton, said that Mr Brown had promised to set her placement up, although she has been told that she might not be able to work at No 10. She said she was worried by government borrowing. “If you keep borrowing, you’re giving the wrong example.”

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