There may still be 48 hours until the Budget, but the pundits are getting their judgements in early. And what a cheerful bunch they are.
At the Financial Times, Philip Stephens reckons that with the economy in its present state there is little that chancellor Alistair Darling can do – and that he really ought to keep things as brief as possible and sit down as soon as he can.
Still less upbeat is Hamish McRae at the Independent, who thinks this week's Budget will be "the most sombre since Labour took power in 1997". He argues that it was Darling's misfortune to take over just as the economy was going wrong, and predicts little of the bombast of earlier years.
He adds:
"The squeeze on public spending has now begun. It will go on for three or four years, maybe longer. How that squeeze will be presented will be fascinating: forced increases in the presumed productivity of government departments, so that the chancellor (and the prime minister) can pretend there is really no squeeze at all? Or an acknowledgement that these are tougher times for all?"
Meanwhile, over at the Guardian, Larry Elliott is determined to be institutionally gloomy. No-one really cares about the Budget outside the political classes, he says. What is important is that the government has failed to deliver on the bigger picture over the longer term. Despite all the public spending, the public themselves along with nurses, librarians and other public sector workers have seen little benefit.
He concludes:
"Labour used to be accused of allowing producer interests to "capture" the public sector. It is still open to that charge. All that is different is that the producers have big salaries, drive expensive cars and - so far at least - appear to have achieved the square root of naff all."
The Times' political editor Philip Webster thinks he knows what Alistair Darling will be announcing on Wednesday: increased increase petrol duty and swingeing penalties on high-emission cars, concessions on non-domicile taxes and more money to tackle child poverty.
Meanwhile, over in special interest land, the CBI says that what is needed is a big cut in business taxes, while the TUC's Brendan Barber says the choice is between "children or the super rich", and wants a crackdown on company tax avoidance schemes coupled with more resources to tackle child poverty.
So, something for everyone to look forward to, then.
Picture by Austin Evan
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