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Webminster Brief: Budget Delay

My views about the timing of the budget.

"In reality, we all know the Chancellor's budget must be set, and that ithas to happen around now. But the actual timing is a bit odd, coming slapbang in the middle of the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliamentaryelections, as well as local elections. Also, to change the timings of theEaster recess undoubtedly means a lot of rescheduling will be going on.Contrary to what some in the media would have the public believe, most MPsuse recesses to do things of a political nature in their constituencies.The upshot of late changes is to inconvenience the public, and organisationswho have fixed things up for MPs to attend. The timings aren't the end ofthe world, but perhaps at a time when MPs in all parties are gettingincreasingly tetchy with the Prime Minister and his Inner Circle, it's justone more thing that makes us sigh and roll our eyes."

Lembit Opik