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Welcome to FT.com's Budget 2000 Forum, which brings the top issues of the day straight to your desktop. Today, Budget day, we have leading accountants available online to answer your questions and lead a discussion on what the Budget will mean to you or your business: click here. Join ongoing discussions with FT correspondents: Your views On Tuesday, Gordon Brown took most of the credit for achieving a far bigger than expected Budget surplus. And he used it to move effortlessly into pre-election mode, with an emphasis on social justice and public spending as well as increases in so-called "sin taxes" such as alcohol and tobacco. Share your opinions on Brown's 2000 Budget. Boosting British e-commerce The United Kingdom already boasts the largest e-commerce market of any European country, with around £3.2bn spent online last year by British consumers. What could Gordon Brown do to further this lead, and to help the UK compete with the US in the new economy? Raising taxes by stealth Labour have recently reneged on their claim that the burden on the taxpayer has been reduced since 1997, while others argue that the increase in tax, in real terms, is far more significant than Labour would have us believe. Is it? Spending the surplus Gordon Brown is expected to announce an impressive Budget surplus nearing £8bn. Some argue the money should go to the beleagured health system, while others feel it would be better used in creating tax benefits for hi-tech firms. In reality, Mr Brown is likely to wait until next year to spend his Budget surplus to help boost Labour's election chances. What is the best way to use the surplus?
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