He was speaking in a Commons debate last night, shortly before Lib Dems and Tories voted against a Labour amendment to the Finance Bill designed to protect charities from the Government's VAT rise.

Mr Lucas referred to Chariotts, in his Wrexham constituency, and the effect the VAT rise would have on its customers, people with disabilities who use the service for their vital transport needs.

He said: "Those individuals, who receive disability benefits, will be asked to pay more to obtain the same service from the charity."

And he reminded MPs of the difference between what the Tories and Lib Dems were saying before and after the election.

He said: "Additional burdens will be imposed on the most vulnerable in our communities. That was not something we heard from the Conservatives before the general election-they did not say that they were going to increase VAT, although I always expected them to do it.

"When the Liberal Democrats sit there supporting the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Government who are increasing VAT, it fills me with disdain because, of course, they campaigned against that increase in VAT.

"Their councillors in Wrexham go along to events such as those with Chariotts, which is an organisation that they support locally, yet the Liberal Democrats will impose a financial burden on that charity as a result of their support for this change."

And he warned of the effect of the changes on Wrexham Hospice Nightingale House.

He said: "Another charity in my constituency that I have approached about this matter- the Nightingale House hospice -has said that as a result of the Budget it will have to find £10,000 to care for the sick people whom it looks after. "

He told the House that the Government had made deliberate choices to cut taxes for banks which had already received Government support in the last Parliament, and to raise taxes on charities doing vital work.

And he warned: "Those parties can make those choices because they are in government, but people will remember. We expect such choices from the Conservatives, but perhaps we do not expect them from the Liberal Democrats.

"If the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats make those choices, we will make sure that all our constituents know where they stand.

"The Government parties should be aware that what they are doing tonight is inflicting financial pain on those organisations, and they should be ashamed."