Chancellor to become a father

Gordon and Sarah Brown wed in August last year

The Chancellor Gordon Brown's wife, Sarah, is expecting a baby, it was announced on Tuesday.

Arriving with his wife at a private function in Westminster after the announcement, Mr Brown smiled broadly and said: "It's great news, we are both delighted, absolutely delighted."

I wonder what the odds are on it being called Prudence if it's a girl

Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie

A spokesman for the couple said earlier: "Both their families are thrilled with the news."

The chancellor plans to be present at the birth and will take paternity leave immediately afterwards.

Election conception

He will then return for the Budget in March before taking some more time off afterwards.

The timing suggests they conceived sometime around or during the general election, when Mr Brown managed Labour's landslide-winning campaign.

The couple will live at their Scottish home and at Number 10 Downing Street - Tony and Cherie Blair already live in the more family friendly Number 11.

Mr Brown, who is 50, and his 37-year-old wife were married in a private ceremony in Fife, Scotland, last August.

Blair welcome

They began dating in 1996 when Mrs Brown's PR firm, Hobsbawm and Macaulay Communications, was involved in arranging Labour Party events.

The pregnancy was welcomed by Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was made aware of the news before the public announcement.

Tony Blair took time out when Leo was born

A spokeswoman for Number 10 said: "The prime minister and Cherie are both delighted for the chancellor and Sarah on their news."

Mrs Brown's pregnancy comes 14 months after the Blairs produced the last Downing Street baby in May last year.

When baby Leo was born, Tony Blair cancelled official engagements for about 10 days but continued working on papers at home.

Family plans

Helping families was at the heart of Mr Brown's budget in March this year, but his own baby will come too early for him to benefit from many of those measures.

He will miss out on the extra paternity leave he announced in that budget as it will not come into force until 2003.

Also, the up-rating of maternity benefits announced recently will not take effect until April 2002.

Mrs Brown expected to qualify for the £62.20 maternity leave rate for self-employed workers - payable for 18 weeks.

The Rev Sheila Munro conducted the Browns' wedding

A spokesman at the Department of Trade and Industry quipped that this was "bad family planning on the part of the chancellor".

David McLetchie, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, congratulated the couple on their "happy news".

Referring to the chancellor's economic watchword, he joked: "I wonder what the odds are on it being called Prudence if it's a girl."

Congratulations

Congratulations came too from the Reverend Sheila Munro, the Church of Scotland minister the Brown wedding.

Ms Munro, who has kept in touch with the couple since their wedding and who already knew about the baby, said: "I am delighted for them, it's lovely news and I hope they enjoy their time."

Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell, who was attending the same event as the Browns on Tuesday evening, said: "It's the perfect end to what has been a very good year for Gordon and Sarah."

And Mr Brown's brother John, who was best man at the couple's wedding, said he was "delighted" at the news.

He said: "Gordon and Sarah told me at the weekend and I am very pleased for them."