George Osborne’s top five budget claims – and how they could be shot down

The chancellor will be trumpeting jobs, growth and helo for families in his budget speech - and his opponents will have their ammunition ready

George Osborne will fire the starting gun on the 2015 general election campaign on 18 March when he delivers his sixth budget since becoming chancellor in May 2010. All budgets are political but pre-election budgets are the most political of all, offering one last chance to grab the headlines with some eye-catching measures.

Back in 2010, the chancellor pledged to sort out Britain's budget deficit in one parliamentary term and wean the economy off its dependency on debt-driven growth. Although things have not gone according to plan, Osborne has a political narrative and will stick to it. Here are five statements from the Chancellor to look out for on Wednesday - and the likely counterpunches from the government's opponents.

Incomes per head are the same now as in 2006, and business investment has fallen for the past two quarters