Gordon Brown has confirmed today that the date of this year’s Budget will be Wednesday 24 March.

leading to speculation that the prime minister will announce the date of the election on 6 April, with the ballot taking place a month later.

At a speech today, Brown said that domestic economic recovery was at a crossroads.

He added: “We have to choose now to maintain the stimulus until recovery is assured or cut it and at a crossroads for the global economic governance that will shape the next decades for us and our children