Budget 2014: Tweeters Mock Grant Shapps' Beer and Bingo Tax Advert

Shapps is furious at report criticising bedroom tax — Grant Shapps has been criticised for a patronising tweet he sent about 'hardworking people'

Hardworking social media users have responded to a Grant Shapps' Budget tweet about beer and bingo tax cuts.

The Conservative party chairman has been roundly criticised for sending a celebratory tweet that was perceived as patronising "hardworking people".

Shapps, who was reacting to chancellor George Osborne's 2014 Budget, said cutting beer duty by a penny and halving taxes on bingo halls from 20% to 10 would help "hardworking people do more of the things they enjoy".

#budget2014 cuts bingo & beer tax helping hardworking people do more of the things they enjoy. RT to spread the word pic.twitter.com/5vbL7RDAg5
— Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) March 19, 2014

The MP's intervention provoked a furious - and humorous - response on social media, with some highlighting the "Tory toff" tag the party is so desperate to shed. Here are some of the highlights:

ROFL: http://t.co/HKCUASiE8W #torybingo pic.twitter.com/GTiSc7gyqt
— David Doyle (@D_J_Doyle) March 20, 2014

Ah! I see that pic needs a #torybingo hashtag. Thank you from the heart of my bottom Grant Shapps. pic.twitter.com/n2boyfphun
— beaubodor (@beaubodor) March 19, 2014

In case you missed it, someone fixed Grant Shapps' Bingo budget ad (vi @MattLlt) pic.twitter.com/WqToN41dsZ
— CelebYouthUK (@CelebYouthUK) March 20, 2014

Poor guys. Spent all day avoiding the budget & came home to see Grant Shapps' tweet. #torybingo pic.twitter.com/k4YuxLfFtF
— beaubodor (@beaubodor) March 20, 2014

'I'd like two litres of white lightning and a scratch card. Yes, I'm just like you.' pic.twitter.com/JHZFzxQXZf
— Jamie Reed (@jreedmp) March 19, 2014