No fireworks just 'steady as she goes'

It was a budget for stability - that's what the chancellor kept telling us. For those interested in such things, he used the word "stability," 23 times in his 51-minute speech, so I think we get the message.

What Alistair Darling did not spell out in such clear terms is that the government is a bit short of money, so he plans to raise extra funds by clobbering drinkers, smokers and drivers.

It brings a new meaning to '' Don't Drink and Drive.'' He's also going to borrow more - a lot more.

Budgets are always high-octane occasions at Westminster with their own pre-ordained rituals; before the big event there is masses of speculation with a few inspired leaks often designed to test opinion.

Then the budget itself. The theatre of a set-piece statement when the chancellor gets to hog the limelight followed by all and sundry giving their instant reaction, often on the basis of little or no knowledge.

Next, the number crunchers get to work going through the Treasury's predictions with a fine tooth-comb. Opinions about a budget four days after the event are often not the same as when the chancellor sits down.

"The three sins, smoking, drinking and gas-guzzling cars have been targeted"

This year Alistair Darling is keen that his budget will not "unravel'' after a few days.

The government knows it has paid a heavy political price for previous financial statements which have not turned out to be what they first seemed. The underlying message this year is ''what you see is what you get.''

Alistair Darling is, of course, a very different temperament from his predecessor, Gordon Brown. Mr Darling is a politician who has made a long political journey from radical Edinburgh firebrand and councillor to a London Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The hair may no longer be the same colour as the eyebrows but Alistair Darling is now very much centre stage.

Those close to him insist his budget reflected his personality. It was a "steady as she goes" affair, no fireworks and no flashy stunts just competence and transparency. The man was the message.

So how are we affected? There is to be more money for pensioners and those with children. To help pay for it, the three sins, smoking, drinking and gas-guzzling cars have been targeted.

From midnight on Sunday, the price of a packet of cigarettes will go up by 11p. A pint of beer will go up by 4p, a bottle of wine will cost 14p more and a bottle of whisky will cost an extra 59p, according to the whisky producers.

That accounts for some of the money coming in, but how is the rest of the gap going to be plugged?

The chancellor said that Britain was "better placed than other economies to withstand the global economic slowdown," but to keep his head above the water he admitted the government will be borrowing more - billions of pounds more.

The general consensus among economists seems to be that Mr Darling and his Treasury officials are adopting a ''fingers- crossed'' attitude.

If the economy undergoes a gentle slow downturn the projections will be ok, if the downturn is more severe - or if there is a full blown recession - then all bets are off.

With an election due by May 2010 at the latest, the battle lines were also partly sketched out in this budget. Labour's pitch will be stability (that word again) combined with social justice.

The opposition will insist the government has wasted billions in the good times and has no spare cash now times are getting tougher. They will lay most of the blame on Mr Brown, not Mr Darling.

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