Today's budget is very much a pre-campaign budget, pacing the way for a possible election in spring 2005. The Northern Echo's political editor Chris Lloyd analyses Chancellor Gordon Brown's budget and observes an American tradition taking hold in Britain.

A US president spends four years in office. The US people spend at least two of those years working out who is going to succeed him.

In Britain, of course, we'd never do anything as foolish as that. Our election campaigns are a six week frenzy after which our Prime Minister immediately gets down to the business of running the country for the next five years.

But, just like all of America's brightest ideas, it is crossing the pond. Just like McDonald's, obesity, Britney Spears and bombing Iraq, it'll soon catch on over here.

Because yesterday was the first British primary, preparing the ground for the next British General Election. It may not be held until May 2005, it may not be due until June 2006, but here in March 2004 we have laid out before us the themes and ideas over which it will be fought.

In fact, already ringing in our ears are some of the slogans with which the political parties will attempt to beat each other.

Gordon Brown didn't respond with anything as catchy as Michael Howard's ''a credit-card Budget from a credit-card Chancellor''. In fact, having started early doors with a "symmetrical inflation target", this was possibly the most boring Budget of all time.

Mr Brown did not even bother to steady the ship because, to his mind, the ship did not need steadying. With one telescopic eye firmly fixed on the future, and probably his place in No 10 Downing Street, he steamed steadfastly on to the next election, pouring money into health and education to win votes, ignoring all the rocks that the Conservatives were pointing out.

Read the full piece in The Northern Echo tomorrow.