The Budget went down well on the Labour benches and in the tearoom afterwards.

Alistair played a difficult hand with skill.

My colleagues have a spring in their step.

He raises the rafters when he says in that understated way of his:

“I am determined to continue our successful drive to prevent avoidance and evasion.

“Measures in this Budget will bring in additional tax worth half a billion pounds each year, while protecting £4bn worth of revenues by 2012-13.

“These steps include tax agreements like that already signed with Liechtenstein, which is expected to bring in around £1bn of extra revenue.

“I can also now tell the House that we are ready to sign tax information exchange agreements with three additional countries – Dominica, Grenada and Belize.

The Opposition Leader's hyperventilated response didn’t measure up.

And Cameron didn’t mention tax dodgers or Belize.  Not once.

That was noticed.