Will Darling delay the budget?

Alistair Darling during his appearance on Andrew Marr on Sunday morning appeared to intimate that he was in no rush to set the date for the budget.

His rational was that the pre budget statement contained enough fiscal maesures to tide the country over for the foreseeable future.

Some though suspect that something more sinister is afoot.

Notably that it was force the government's policies under the scrutinty of the Commons, something that was initially at least avoided before Xmas.

Over at First Post this morning,they also see the motive behind such a move

Whenever the Budget is presented, it will reveal a nightmare combination of soaring costs for unemployment benefit and falling receipts from a collapse in corporate taxes as more businesses go to the wall. Darling's hopes of returning to growth by the end of the year have been blown apart by the economic crisis. Like Micawber, Darling is hoping that "something will turn up" if he delays for a month.

adding that a

would also enable Darling to indulge in some creative accounting:

So perhaps then a June budet after the European elections?