Dandy Highwayman or Prince Charming? Photograph: PA
A new week (Sunday paper weeks start late on Tuesdays); a new blank news list. The Budget tomorrow poses a dilemma inherent in the Big Midweek Political Event (TM) - will there be anything of note left to say on Sunday that hasn't already been rehearsed from every possible angle in the dailies?
These days so much of the Budget leaks out in advance that it sometimes seems as if only the greenest Westminster ingenu doesn't already know exactly what is up Gordon's sleeve when he takes to the despatch box. Of course, it wouldn't be an Observer Blog post if we didn't take this opportunity to show off about a scoop we got way back in January. You read it here first. We picked up the theme again - with a political twist - last Sunday.
Meanwhile, Andrew Rawnsley took up the political cudgels on the comment pages, while Will Hutton gave us the economic tour d'horizon. Every year there is a Jeremiad about the terrible black hole in the nation's finances, and every year Gordon seems to pull a giant plug out of somewhere.
Speaking of which, earnest discussion of matters budgetary was lightened momentarily when we were reminded of the notorious/apocryphal pre-Budget headline: Is There a Black Hole in Gordon's Red Box?
Find out tomorrow.
