Chancellor can’t hide red ink
Martin Wolf says the chancellor is too optimistic as we go into uncertain times with a worryingly large fiscal deficit and an
UK Budget 2008
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Special features
Darling plays it safe amid turmoil
Alistair Darling signalled that the British economy is at the mercy of events in the financial markets as he unveiled a modest maiden Budget, ratcheting up borrowing and raising taxes on drinkers, motorists and business to bolster the public finances
Budget 2008 at a glance
At-a-glance summary of key measures
Related content and features
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A Budget of small sums
Chris Giles says Alistair Darling’s first Budget as chancellor is the tail of tax revenues which have been wagging the dog
In the hands of the credit markets
Philip Stephens doubts that Darling has done enough to catch up on the government’s child poverty reduction targets.
Darling’s plastic bag Budget
Matthew Vincent on why Darling’s first Budget was thin on major measures, aiming not to scare middle England voters
Comment & analysis
Stability is the new prudence
The chancellor used the new watchword at least 23 times. But ‘Prudence’ never crossed Darling’s lips. This is a telling shift writes Martin Wolf
Sketch: Speech bereft of secrets
They said Darling would have little worth saying and that he would say it in a boring manner. They were wrong, writes Matthew Engel
The ‘whatever’ speech is welcome
Jonathan Guthrie sees a lack of daring or direction
A gamble on global markets
Darling’s future depends on whether the darkening clouds on global credit markets break into another storm, says Philip Stephens
A ‘make-work’ budget
The Budget was a hodgepodge of platitudes and half-measures of things that could happen, say Willem Buiter and Anne Sibert
Dull and determined approach
Nick Timmins makes a plea for the public sector
Calculator
Win or lose?
Find out the financial impact of the 2008 Budget on you and your family with the KPMG calculator
Q&A
What does the Budget mean for you?
How will the new Budget measures affect your personal finances? The FT’s specialists answer your questions
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