BUMBLING Lib Dem Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander stunned onlookers yesterday as he presented an “alternative Budget” from an empty yellow suitcase in the Commons chamber.

The bizarre stunt came as Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls proclaimed that George Osborne had “strutted his final hour upon the stage.”

Only 15 other Lib Dems showed up to see their clueless colleague lay into the Chancellor he had smugly posed for snaps with the day before.

Even Deputy PM Nick Clegg walked out after 13 minutes, to squeals of delight from Labour backbenchers.

Mr Alexander confirmed that he had co-written George Osborne’s Budget and would be voting in favour of its recommendations — but insisted there was “a better way.”

He said: “Today I set our a better economic plan for Britain — a plan that is based on the values of fairness as well as strength.”

Tory MP Adam Afriyie said it was “an absolute betrayal of the role they have played in government.”

And Labour’s Chris Leslie accused the hapless Lib Dem of misusing his ministerial position for petty party point-scoring.

Turning to the real Budget, Mr Balls said the previous day’s announcements had “changed nothing for working people in our country.”

“The Chancellor spent an hour telling people they have never had it so good but working people are still £1,600 a year worse off on average after five years of the Tories,” he said.

“Our National Health Service is still in crisis but the Chancellor had nothing to say about the NHS.

“He started the day with plans for extreme spending cuts and he ended the day with plans for extreme spending cuts, even bigger spending cuts in the next three years after the election than in the last five.”

And Tory MP Mark Simmonds suggested Mr Osborne had distributed cash unfairly across Britain.

“Rural areas like Lincolnshire still don’t get their fair share of resources, particularly in education and police funding — nor do they reflect the speed of population that has changed in some parts of the country,” he said.