Will Osborne be able to turn things round with his budget?
Or can Balls build on his lead?
Perhaps the most surprising finding from today’s MORI poll were the above ones on who would make “best chancellor” for the pollster found, and I think this is a first, that Balls is ahead.
Certainly Labour’s man has been playing a big public role and has always seized opportunities to make news and get coverage.
What a turnaround for the man whose apparent unelectability was a key issue in last autumn’s Labour leadership election.
Osborne, meanwhile, has been quiet and in any case chancellors don’t usually like to do much in public immediately before the budget – which takes place next week.
But given that the economy is by far away the biggest issue Osborne’s statement next week is going be crucial. A few things have been hinted on and Balls has been smart enough to propose things that he thinks are going to happen.
My sense is that Osborne will have a surprise up his sleeve. That’s been the pattern with his previous set piece statements – and the budget is the biggest of them all.