Budget 2007

The Chancellor's willingness to fund multi-billion pound public projects such as the restructuring and upgrade of London Underground and the building of new schools and hospitals 'off balance' sheet using controversial Private Finance Initiatives suggest that he is not swayed by adverse public opinion.

When it comes to the benefits sustem, rather than bunging money at the unemployed, Brown's strategy, in line with Tony Blair, has been to use a carrot and stick approach of tax credits and return to work schemes such as the New Deal - the latter being funded by windfall taxes.

Just after Brown became Chancellor public spending stood at 37 per cent of national income. It has since risen again to its current level of 42 per cent of the UK economy. No-one can say he hasn't spent money on public services – though where and how that money has been spent is another matter.

He caused brouhaha in 2002 by putting 1p on National Insurance contributions - but silenced his critics by ploughing the extra revenue into the NHS.

Tax

Broadly speaking, Brown's tax policies have redistributed some income to the poorest sections of society. Though most of this cash has been redirected from the highest earners in the country, middle income families who work and childless couples have lost out. Critics argue that he has also made it easier for big business to pay minute amounts of corporation tax by changing their domicile - hardly the work of a socialist.

Britain has climbed the league table of high taxing countries in the last ten years and now controls around 42 per cent of national income, compared with 39 per cent when New Labour took office. Britain is now has the 17th highest tax grab out of all OECD countries, compared with 20th highest in 1997.

Council Tax is still rising with inflation and there were no concessions to pensioners in this Budget, as in 2005 when Brown gave them a one-off bung of £200.

Brown has made the fight against child poverty a feature of his Chancellorship, and continued in his 2007 Budget by raising child benefits and child tax credits, taking 200,000 more children out of poverty. In contrast, he has been criticised for doing little to ease pensioner poverty, an increasing problem with the collapse of final salary pensions and above inflation increases in council tax.

Aid

The Chancellor has been generally praised for his progressive stance on international aid issues such as the African question. He pledged that the UK would 10 per cent of the developing world's foreign debt bill in an attempt to fight poverty.

Environment

Brown's 2007 Budget has been a bit of a let down for environment campaigners - his 'greenest' Budget was actually in 1999, they say. However, he has introduced grants and tax breaks for energy efficient homes, and increased fuel and air passenger duty.

Business

Part of New Labour's election strategy has been to shed the old anti-business image they were burdened with. So corporation tax has been cut to its lowest level for 30 years. However, critics see the Chancellor as a meddler who has tightened the red tape that they say stifles their businesses. And the increase in corporation tax for small businesses is another example of the sleight of hand that enrages the Chancellor's critics.

Brown's Highlights

Ceding control of interest rate limits to the Bank of England, 1997. Widely seen as a tactical move of some genius, as it makes interest rate movement a non-political issue.

Fuel protestor blockade of 2000. Convoys of lorries and tractors attempted to bring UK roads to gridlock in protest at the level of duty on fuel. Brown saw them off at his next Budget, by freezing escalator duties on petrol.

Privatisation of London Underground. Against the advice of almost every transport export on the planet, Brown pushed through his unpopular PPP private finance initiative to fund the regeneration of the Tube. Critics argued that this route, rather than a bond issue, was bad value for money and could have safety implications.

Surprise Income tax cut, 2007 Budget. David Cameron visibly turned pale as a master politician outmanoeuvred his party.