The Budget: due later today

One of the more curious facts of the government's economic record is the way in which their policies have failed even in their own terms.

Labour MP Frank Field has pointed out that the 10p tax fiasco had one bizarre side effect.

"The Labour Party champions individual taxation believing that it strengthens the position of women in households. The Government has refused to present information on the number of individual losers from the 10p rate’s abolition: it only gives the number of households made worse off by its move.

This statistical sleight of hand minimises the number of losers. Most of those who lost out from this tax change were women for the very simple reason that they are, generally speaking, on lower earnings.

Many of the losers live in households where, again generally speaking, male workers gained from the reduction of 2p in the standard rate. If the total household income showed a plus, the Government excludes it from its official data on those households who lost out - where one member, usually the woman, lost out."

Partly because of this issue, and because the 'solution' the government put forward to deal with this political embarrassment was poorly targeted, the 10p issue is not yet done with More on Frank Field's blog.

John Redwood is a Conservative MP and former minister who remains outside the shadow cabinet but who routinely offers interesting commentaries on the government's economic policies. He has some suggestions for today's Budget ahead of its delivery, but given the record of Gord's economic dabblings he's not optimistic about what will be on offer.

"This will be a fantasy budget and a very political budget. It could turn out to be the McBride memorial budget.This government not only divorced Prudence, but continues to hold a drink and drugs party on her grave. That is bad news for all of us."

More here. We'll find out if he's right later today.