Chancellor prepares for Budget 2009
Wednesday 22nd April 2009, 12:01AM BST.
Alistair Darling is preparing to deliver his Budget statement for 2009 amid the worst recession the country has faced since the second world war.
The chancellor, due to stand up in the Commons at 12:30 BST, is severely constrained in what he can do to drag Britain out of the recession due to unprecedented levels of national debt.
The Conservatives have already painted Budget day as a “day of reckoning” for New Labour economics, but the government is aiming to boost the economy with a focus on housing and green initiatives.
A package of housing measures worth £1 billion was widely reported on Tuesday, with public sector efficiency savings of £10 billion revealed by Treasury sources earlier on in the week.
On the environment, Gordon Brown has already talked up plans encouraging drivers to upgrade to electric cars.
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