How was it for you? From the Olympic champion to the union chief, the verdict on the Chancellor

Steve Sinnott , General secretary of the National Union of Teachers

Steve Sinnott , General secretary of the National Union of Teachers

"I welcome Gordon Brown's commitment to funding the renewal of primary school buildings and funding for ICT but I hope this optimism is not undermined by double counting and spin. I hope that this time, what you see is what you get."

Sam Baker , Editor, Cosmopolitan

"What's in it for you?" I asked the young women in the office. They think politicians aren't interested in them and so probably won't vote. "Bugger all," was the reply. There was one plus: the stamp duty threshold. But wine is going to be 4p a bottle dearer. Not whisky, though - all those old blokes are going to be laughing."

Rodney Bickerstaffe , President of the National Pensioners Convention

"The Chancellor recognised he had to offer Britain's 11 million older voters something, but many will feel disappointed that he missed the opportunity to raise the state pension, restore the link with earnings, end means-testing and widen women's entitlement."

Professor Colin Blakemore , Chief executive of the Medical Research Council

"The council is delighted at the Chancellor's continued support of stem-cell research. All of us trying to advance stem cell research fervently hope that it will one day be possible to treat currently incurable conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and Parkinson's disease."

Chris Keates , General secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers

"Increased capital funding to transform primary school buildings is a very important development. I hope that the Government does not allow PFI and private sponsorship to taint this welcome announcement."

Tony Woodley , Transport & General Workers

"The Budget will be good for Britain. It contrasts sharply with the Tories' agenda of £35bn cuts, which would damage the good work Labour has done to bring millions out of poverty. British manufacturing needs tough action to stem job cuts. The economic conditions are right to turn the decline around."

Nick Brayshaw , Chairman of the CBI's national manufacturing council and chairman of the electrical wiring accessories manufacturer Electrium

"As a hard-pressed sector we welcome the neutrality of the Budget. In the past we have been hit by anti-manufacturing measures such as national insurance surcharges."

Lord May of Oxford , President of the Royal Society

"Last July the Government published a 10-year investment framework for science and innovation which set a target of increasing annual expenditure on research and development by 75 per cent by 2014. Assessing the Budget against this, it is not clear how much closer this will take us to that target."

Chris Smith , Labour MP, director of the Clore Leadership Programme and a former secretary of state for culture

"Normally the cultural sector doesn't feature at all in Budgets so to get a specific programme like this new funding of £12m for skills development and leadership training in the arts is very helpful indeed."

Louise Christian , Human rights solicitor

"Just another pre-election budget with small bribes for specific groups. What he has offered is not going to amount to much difference for very many people. Neither party seems to be prepared to rethink in a major way. One could have a more radical redistribution mechanism as a progressive taxation system."

Stephen Burke , Director of Daycare Trust

"The Chancellor has proven again that he is a childcare champion, by underscoring the Government's commitment to supporting parents through the 10-year childcare strategy. Further help is needed, especially for parents of children with disabilities and those with the youngest children."

Anthony Scrivener , QC

"Gordon Brown is trying to hide massive debt. This Budget is all about massive amounts of borrowing, while he is only able to make small gifts to the electorate. Things like giving pensioners a £200 discount on council tax is not going to solve anything in the long run - the whole system needs to be looked at."

Tony Juniper , Director, Friends of the Earth

"There is not a great deal in here to welcome. We weren't surprised - it is a pre-election Budget and the Chancellor isn't going to do dramatic things in controversial areas, such as fuel duty. We take on board what he said on climate change inside economic policy. We look forward to more progress."

Malcolm Hurlston , Chairman, Consumer Credit Counselling Service

"I was pleased to see the increase in child tax credits. Our research shows that this credit is well targeted, improves the lives of many people in debt, bringing them motivation and, in some cases, release. I would have liked the Chancellor to go further with this incentive."

Susie Orbach , Writer and social commentator

"The Budget seems pretty neutral. It doesn't seem to be dramatic or bold. It doesn't seem to release the burden of extreme poverty for the poor. I am interested in what the detail is in the announcements for international development. I want to see what the actual matter of it is rather than the rhetoric."

Iqbal Sacranie , Muslim Council of Britain

"I was pleased to see the Chancellor's continuing support for the development of regulations for shariah-compliant financial products, as well as VAT relief for the renovation of religious buildings. But the £400m allotted for the war in Iraq would have been better spent here, on the elderly and the poor."

Lord Coe , Chairman of London 2012

"I welcome Gordon Brown's words today that 'winning the Olympics for Britain in 2012 would itself be a major boost to British sport and the British economy'. Hosting the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in London would provide a major impetus for young people in Britain."

Ruth Lea , Director, Centre for Policy Studies

"Yet more dissembling about finances. After several helpful redefinitions by the ONS, the Chancellor will probably meet his 'golden rule' for the economic cycle. But that is not the point. There is a black hole in the public finances that will have to be addressed by higher taxes or slower spending growth."