• Measures to force middle-class council house tenants to “pay to stay” in their homes rather than rely on taxpayer hand-outs. Rent subsidies for social housing tenants will be removed from anyone earning more than £30,000 outside London and £40,000 in the capital. They will have to pay full market rents or move out, under the plan.

• Details of deep public spending cuts that will be needed over the next three years in order to balance the Budget and run a surplus. Ministers expect the cuts to see one in four civil service jobs – up to 100,000 in total - lost over the next five years.

• Cuts to benefit payments totalling £12 billion, with the tax credits regime introduced by Gordon Brown likely to bear the brunt.

• Inheritance tax breaks to protect family homes worth up to £1 million, and income tax cuts to help the low paid and middle-classes.