Emergency Budget: How will it affect the motorist?

George Osbourne promised at the beginning of today's emergency budget that he wouldn't hide the hard choices from the British people. He certainly didn't, but the motorist was hit no harder than anyone else.

The Chancellor promised that £4 out of every £5 required to reduce the national deficit would be found through spending cuts rather than tax rises, but it is the headline tax rise which will impact on the nation's drivers.

As some predicted, Mr Osbourne chose to increase the rate of VAT from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent from January 4 2011.