There were strong criticisms of many aspects of the Budget.

Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey) was damning, hitting out at ’dangerous and inappropriate’ pay caps that affected those working in front-line services.

The police got only a £173,000 (1.3%) increase in its budget, lower than inflation. He said that put community policing under threat and made combating financial crime more difficult.

He said: ’This is a Budget of broken promises that is lacking in vision.

’We have before us a Budget that is setting out reductions in NHS funding, real-terms cuts for an already stretched police force, the continuation of pay restraint, more fee increases to put pressure on those struggling to get by.’

Welfare and pension increases were ’out-stripped’ by inflation, he said. ’When the Treasury Minister states that an increase of 3% or 3.3% is "broadly in line with inflation", what he means is less than inflation, which is running at at least 3.8% and up to 6.4% according to Cabinet office figures’.

Mr Hooper, who later voted against the Budget, added: ’There is nothing in this Budget that working people can be glad about.’

But Chief Minister Howard Quayle argued the Budget was a positive one.

’This is a good news story and we shouldn’t be afraid to tell it,’ he said. But I must sound a note of caution.

’We must not be complacent.

’Our structural deficit remains, although it is reducing. This means that our policy on restraint in public sector expenditure must continue.’

However, he denied it was an austerity budget.

’This is restraint, not austerity,’ he said. ’We are targeting increases in priority areas, but we all have a responsibility to ensure our public services are delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible.’

The chief minister said growth was key.

’Growth in our economy means growth in tax revenues which means we can continue to fund services like health and social care and the police as well as investing in essential infrastructure like our roads,’ he argued.

’So, we must ensure there is sufficient fuel for that growth.’

Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot said the Budget gave the financial backing to the Programme for Government, which had been approved by Tynwald,

He said the Budget was a ’careful balance between our short-term and our long-term needs, between affordability and social need’.

Alex Allinson (Ramsey) said: ’The minister has resisted the temptation to pander to short-term interests.’

However, Rob Callister (Onchan) said: ’When we look back in 12 months’ time I doubt the majority of people living here on the Isle of Man will feel any richer or have any additional spare cash in their pockets, once we take the glossy headlines found in this Budget and then subtract them against the inevitable increase in charges on the horizon, especially for those who are now retired or on a low or fixed income.’

Chris Robertshaw (Douglas East) said he welcomed large parts of the Budget but expressed concern about the plight of workers on zero-hours contracts and said the government might not be helping matters.

’In our pursuit of ever cheaper contracts in certain areas of service delivery is the government itself unwittingly encouraging this practice?’ he asked.

’If so, is it not the case that what we are actually doing is squeezing some low-income workers through our procurement process in order that our budgetary process arrives at a situation in, say 2022/23, or a little later, where we have sufficient funds in the revenue account to pay attractive public-sector pensions when the public-sector pension reserve runs dry?

’If we are - is that moral, fair or just?’

An ’underwhelmed’ Daphne Caine (Garff) remarked: ’This is a steady-as-she-goes budget, a bit plodding and too cautious.’