Log on to www.themj.co.uk from 12.30pm for rolling coverage of Chancellor George Osborne's crucial 2012 Budget – including pre-Budget expectations, live coverage of the announcement and authoritative updates on what the document means for local government and its partners.

The MJ's expert newsteam will be focused exclusively on Budget coverage throughout today - bringing you the vital details from the speech, and reaction and responses from a range of local authority, central government, private sector, employer and staff bodies.