Three economists went out hunting, and came across a large deer. The first one fired, but missed, by a metre to the left. The second one fired, but also missed, by a metre to the right. The third economist didn't fire, but shouted in triumph, "We got it! We got it!"

Not entirely sure where that takes us, but the FT has got three economists to give quick and dirty reactions to the Chancellor's budget (Deanne Julius of  Chatham House;  Martin Weale of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research; and regular CentreForum guest speaker, Robert Chote from the Institute for Fiscal Studies)

The newspapers take their economic shots at the budget from the left and the right too.

There are those that are sceptical/hostile:

• Daily Express 'Tax cut: its just a big con';
• Telegraph 'Brown's tax cut trick';
  
• Daily Mail 'What Gord Giveth, Gord taketh away: The truth about that surprise 2p cut'.

Those that seem supportive

• The Mirror 'No.10 this way';
• The Sun 'Reasons 2p Cheerful';

• The Times 'The twopenny budget'.

And the sitting on the fence

• The Independent '2p or not 2p'.
• The FT 'Brown gives and takes on tax as he heads down the road to No10'
  

Or the more-interested-in-something-else

• Daily Sport 'Lesbo secret of Lee Ryan's new babe'.

Why, one wonders why it was the two New International papers that joined the Mirror in being most supportive.  The Times heaps praise upon the astute Scot "the Chancellor has displayed unexpected intellectual and political flexibility alongside admirable boldness and that should bode well for him as he assumes the post of prime minister." Whilst the Sun flips into toadying Labour loyalist mode with Gordon's most ringing endorsement "This was a remarkable economic farewell for a Chancellor with precious little room for manoeuvre. Mr Brown can now hand over the national finances, satisfied he has presided over a record period of growth, stability, jobs and low inflation. And concentrate on his even tougher new job as Prime Minister."

No conspiracy theories, please.  After all, the editors of the Sun and the Times are free to throw their adulation on whichever future Prime Minister they like.