OVER TO YOU,GEORGE

摘要

Next week, the chancellor George Osborne will deliver his fifth Budget, the penultimate Budget of this parliament. It will be quite unlike any he has delivered before. For a start, although the austerity continues, the economy is growing - a stark contrast from just a year ago when many commentators were predicting the UK could slip into a triple-dip recession - and Osborne will surely claim the credit before cocking a snook at the opposition. Second, this is a Budget taking place with a general election on the horizon. As Building's Agenda 15 campaign recognises, all three parties are now in election mode, nailing down policies and positions ahead of the country going to the polls in 14 months' time. As a result, Tories and Lib Dems in government are not only finding it more difficult to reach agreement but are also holding back policies for their own manifestos, which may mean fewer intiatives will be offered up from the chancellor in this Budget than in previous years.