Facing a ballooning public debt and failing economy, the chancellor will aim to boost public income while placating a disillusioned electorate.

PrintWeek will be covering the Budget live online from 12:15 today, delivering minute by minute updates and live analysis from a panel of industry and finance experts.

Europa Partners' Nicholas Mockett, who will be sitting on the panel, predicted that this year's Budget will be "more about politics than economics".

He said: "The chancellor will have to try and get as much money back into the public coffers in today's Budget, possibly through bringing forward the 45% tax rate or freezing tax thresholds."

All eyes will be on the chancellor's predictions for growth, which may see the UK enter the worst recession since the Second World War.

Close Print's David Bunker, who is also on the PrintWeek panel, said that this will be a "unique Budget" with government borrowing set to be around £200bn and drastic measures needed to mitigate that.

"The Chancellor will have very little scope to help business and consumers as the public finances are in such a horrific state"

"I would hope manufacturing gets some form of assistance such as an increase in capital allowances, but the reality in our industry is that there are fewer and fewer business making reasonable taxable profits that would benefit."

Other potential measures rumoured to be in the pipeline are changes to Corporation Tax and measures to secure credit insurance for businesses.

Another panel member, Paul Holohan of Richmond Capital Partners anticipates two main areas of interest. Firstly he predicts that Capital Gains Tax "may be an easy way to increase taxation".

"In effect this would be a punishment on entrepreneurial activity at a time when businesses - in particular SME’s such as Printers - need to be encouraged to invest.

"There will be many owners looking to sell businesses in the current economic climate and this will mean they are likely to receive substantially less return on a lifetime of investment in their print or packaging company."

Holohan also called on the chancellor to make allowances for capital investment. However, he said that this may be unviable in light of the huge debt burden.

"This would be a great shame as in the long term; the only way out of the country’s financial woes is for SME’s in particular to invest in the future. The UK will never be a low cost producer and technology and research and development are its main strength. Encouragement in this area is the engine which will drive the country’s growth."

What do you predict will be in the Budget? Leave your comments below.