Speculation is rife that chancellor Gordon Brown will raise the stamp duty threshold in tomorrow’s Budget in order to reinvigorate the market. Brown is worried that a weak house market could spin out of control and wreck forecasts that the economy will continue to grow strongly. Mortgage lenders and estate agents are urging the chancellor to lift the threshold to £150,000. Currently stamp duty applies to property prices over £60,000. Raising the threshold is not expected to effect revenues because first time buyers have all out but pulled out of the market. (Guardian)