Budget 2010: You the chancellor

Wednesday's budget comes against the backdrop of a record £178bn deficit. The government has pledged to halve this within four years and the chancellor has said new spending cuts will be delayed until next year to boost the economic recovery. This week, Lord Mandelson appeared to concede that tax rises would be necessary. The Conservatives, meanwhile, insist that delaying action to reduce the deficit will put long-term recovery at risk. Try your hand at being the chancellor by answering the questions below. We will publish the results on Tuesday, the day before the budget. Note: our estimates on yield are rough calculations based on figures from the Treasury and the Institute for Fiscal Studies. As Peter Snow was fond of saying, it's just a bit of fun. Go on, be a Darling. Loading...