Conservative former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt says John Healey has wasted the Budget by delaying decisions on defence and growth until next year's Spending Review.
"The problem is these decisions are going to be harder in a year's time than they are today"
The remark was reported by BM Magazine.
Hunt said businesses would be relieved that the Budget's business tax rise was about £2bn. He compared that with what he said was £66bn of tax rises, mainly on business, in Rachel Reeves's two Budgets.
He said the OBR forecasts growth of 1% next year, short of the 2% to 3% he says is needed. He also claimed that French energy prices for business are 35% lower than the UK's.
None of Hunt's figures has been independently checked.