Dropping mortgage rates have been music to the ears of the Rooker family of Keynsham.

Paul Rooker, 38, his wife Viv, 43 and children Craig, 17 and Amy, 15, are "significantly better off" as they have a variable rate mortgage on their home.

Paul, who runs a tool firm with Viv in Brislington and has a household income of around £100,000, said: "We're much better off with dropping rates but I would have liked to see more incentive given to people to save – the ISA increases weren't nearly enough to get people to put something by.

"I saw the car incentives – I don't think giving people £2,000 people off a car is any good – you have to have a 10-year-old car to start with, and a brand new car will often lose that when you drive it off the forecourt."

Tax rates for the very rich did little to impress the Rookers either, whose son Craig works for the family firm.

Paul said: "It's not a popular view, but I would have raised taxes for Middle England in a bid to get things moving – I would also increase business rates for the big players like Tesco – that could be used to help smaller firms have less business rates."