In Norma Lament's first budget, there were warnings that the economy would contract by 2% during 1991, and that inflation would fall to 4% by the end of the year. Taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and petrol went up, and income tax thresholds were increased only in line with inflation. There would be increased taxes on mobile telephones, mortgage tax relief would be restricted to the 25% basic rate, and the pools levy would be diverted to fund a new sports and arts trust. Though government borrowing would increase twelvefold - from £750m to £8md - the overall budget was financially neutral. The rabbit out of his hat was an increase in the central grant to local authorities; the net effect would be to reduce nominal community charge bills by £140, but to shift the burden to purchase taxes, so VAT would rise 2½% to 17½%. Conservatives said that it was a brave move, helping to rescue the party from the quagmire of local government finance; the opposition said it was reckless panic.

The second part of the double-whammy was delivered by Michael Heseltine, who announced a moderately convoluted property-and-head tax. Houses will be grouped into seven bands, reflecting their approximate value as of April 1991. Single-occupier households will find their bills reduced by 25%, and houses made up entirely of students will be invisible. The property values would be re-calculated approximately once per decade, and the ratio between the bands would be fixed. Conservative activists were not able to get their heads round this proposal in time to give soundbites to the press.

David Icke resigned his position as Speaker of the Green Party, suggesting that the promotion for his book (to be published in May) would take him out of the country and make him the centre of increasing controversy.

The referendum in the USSR gave assent to the proposed federation of equal sovereign republics by 77% to 23%, but voters in cities including Moscow, Leningrad, and Kiev gave no clear mandate to the proposition. The head of the Bundesbank described the unification of the Deutschmark and Ostmark as a disaster, and said there were lessons for the proposed European currency union; France and Germany ruled out the prospect before 1997. Tanks were seen on the streets of Belgrade, but Yugoslav leaders pulled back from a civil war, preferring to bicker behind closed doors.

Manchester United secured a place in the semi-final of the Cup Winners' Cup, beating Montpellier 2:0 away, 3:1 overall. Barcelona, Juventus, and Legia Warsaw made the final four. In the European Cup, Marseille, Bayern München, Spartak Moscow, and Crvena Zvezda secured the semi-final spots; the UEFA Cup semi-finalists were Brondby, Roma, Sporting Lisbon, and Internazionale.

UK Singles Chart for w/c 24 March 1991

Number One	The one and only - Chesney Hawkes - 1st week (Number 663 in seq.)
Highest new entry	Sit down - James - number 7
Fastest climber (within top 40)	I've got news for you - Feargal Sharkey - up 8 to 14
Fastest climber (within top 75)	Word of mouth - Mike + the Mechanics - up 11 to 39
Lemming-like fall	3am eternal - KLF - down 32 to 72
Top 40 debuts	Gary Clail On-U Sound System, Dannii Minogue
Top 40 exits	MC Mikee Freedom
Top 75 debuts	Chapterhouse, Nikki D, Alison Limerick, Dannii Minogue, Rain Tree Crow, Urban Soul, Zucchero
Top 75 exits	Nikki D, King Bee, Rain Tree Crow
Simon Mayo's Record of the Week	Even if... - Elaine Paige

Crikey, 23 new entries into the top 75 this week, beginning with Nikki D's Daddy's little girl. Back in at 68 came the Stranglers with a re-release of Golden brown to promote their greatest hits album. Great song, deservedly a number 2 in 1981, but not destined for anything this time. Shoegazers Chapterhouse debuted at 67 with Pearl, which wouldn't get higher; Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark came in at 66 with Sailing on the seven seas, which would. Eighties group Japan re-formed for a concept album, under the name Rain Tree Crow. The single was Blackwater, new at 62.

Aswad was a British reggae group, which spent forever on the verge of great success. The group was formed by charismatic frontsman Brinsley Forde in 1975, and quickly developed an unusual style, mixing standard reggae with elements of soul and funk. The group was signed to Island Records in 1976, and put their debut single Back to Africa to the top of the reggae charts. Tours with musicians of the calibre of Bob Marley and Black Uhuru followed, but crossover success eluded them - they were dropped by Island in 1978, signed by CBS in 1980, and dropped in 1982, though produced the rather fab New Chapter LP during their time with the major.

In truth, Aswad's chart career had been stymied by the way BMRB's chart panel was structured, almost exclusively mainstream shops. Gallup expanded the chart universe to include specialist retailers, and Aswad profited - their first hit single came in 1984 with Chasing for the breeze, and the group continued to flirt with the top 75 for years afterwards. For 1988's Distant Thunder album, the group went all out for the pop market, and Don't turn around, a cover of Luther Ingram's soul number, stormed to the top spot. Follow-up singles easily made the top 20.

By 1991, though, Aswad was losing its pop sheen; 1990's final hit Smile barely made 53, and this week's Too wicked ep could only make number 61. They wouldn't have another big hit until Shine provided the soundtrack to summer 1994. Since then, the group's returned to its reggae roots, Brinsley Forde retired in 2000, leaving Tony Robinson and Angus Gaye to continue under the name.

In at 60 came Urban Soul's Alright. New at 59 for George Michael's Cowboys and angels, the first time one of his solo singles had failed to enter the chart in the top 40. Rick Astley's second comeback single lived up to its name, Move right out came in at 58.

Innocence was a post-hippy soul band fronted by Karen Peris, and had the good luck to capture the end of history, building a different world zeitgeist of 1990 on an album they'd written and recorded the previous year. Natural thing was the group's breakthrough hit, and would turn out to be the biggest, number 16 in March. Three more minor hits - Silent voice, Let's push it, and A matter of fact - grazed the top 40 during the second half of the year, and the very camera-friendly Peris had a ubiquity that didn't really translate into sales. Remember the day was the fifth single lifted from their eponymous album, and did well to make number 56. The group had a brief comeback in 1992 - a new song called I'll be there made 26 in the same week as Mariargh Cantsing's version was released, and two more singles had limited success. So far as the UK is concerned, that's the end of the story. The story was different in their native Arizona West, where the group (renamed The Innocence Mission for contractual reasons) became a staple of alternative radio, and broke into the mainstream with Glow (1995) and heavy rotation on seminal television show Party of Five. They've released five pop albums and one religious work in the years since, including 2004's Now the Day is Over, a haunting collection of covers of nocturnes and dreamscapes. Karen's vocals are also to be heard on a number of tracks in Natalie Merchant's 1998 album Ophelia.

From the Follow That! file, Enigma offers Mea culpa part II, new at 55. It doesn't have quite the same goodness as Sadeness (part I), and will fail to trouble the top 40. Not so Zucchero and Paul Young's Senza una donna (without a woman), new at 54. Alexander O'Neal climbs six to 53 with What is this thing called love, and Digital Underground's Same song still climbs, up two to 52. How the mighty are fallen - three months ago, he was at number one, now Vanilla Ice's third single, sloppy ballad I love you, can only creep in at 51. World of Twist rise 9 to 47 with Sons of the stage, and Alison Limerick's new at 44 with Where love lives (come on in).

In at 43 comes INXS with By my side. After spending forever bubbling under, the Aussies had broken through in 1987 with Need you tonight. Four more singles from Kick had been reasonably successful, but it wasn't until 1990's album X that we could judge if they had cemented their place as consistent hit makers. Lead single Suicide blonde had made number 11, follow-up Disappear peaked at 21, and now the third single was having difficulty making the top 40. In truth, INXS are best remembered here for being the group of Michael Hutchence, aka The Bloke Who Was Porking Kylie Minogue | Paula Yates (depending on timing). They're only remembered for the hits Need you tonight and 1989's Mystify. Minor classics such as this one are lost in the wash.

What does Lenny Kravitz have to do to get a hit around here? Mr Cabdriver had stalled at 58 in May last year, Let love rule staggered to number 39 in August, and now Always on the run is in at 41, destined to go no higher. We will hear more from him before the year's out. Pushing Kravitz out of the top 40 were the Little Angels' Product of the working class, and fastest climber honours are retained by Mike + the Mechanics, Word of mouth rises 11 to 39.

There's a lot of upward movement in the lower reaches of the top 40, so no move for Soft Cell's Say hello wave goodbye at 38, and only a four-place climb for the Mock Turtles' Can you dig it?, up 4 to 35. Just below, at 36, come the Inspiral Carpets' Caravan. The Inspirals were the Best of the Rest from the Madchester explosion, a band that actually made proper music, rather than profits to reinvest with their drug-dealers. This is how it feels was the Inspirals' breakthrough hit, number 14 a year ago; She comes in the fall and the toweringly brilliant Island head ep had both troubled the top 30 later in the year. They'd also been signed up to re-record their 1989 minor hit Find out why and turn it into the theme to the 8.15 From Manchester show starring Ross King, Charlotte Hindle, repeats of Rentaghost and Rude Dog. New song Caravan was a bit pants, truth to tell.

For the very last time, MRIB's independent stores panel compiled the Scottish chart, ensuring that Jane's Addiction went top 20 with Been caught stealing. It wasn't selling in mainstream stores, and held at 34 nationally. From next week, the Scottish chart will be compiled by CIN, and broadcast at 10.10pm on Monday nights. The tune used to back the countdowns: Here we go by C&C Music Factory, new nationally at number 33. Jive Bunny's Over to you John rose 4 to 32. New at number 31 was Kylie Minogue's Little Sister, Denny. Love and kisses was her debut hit. We've looked at the Rolling Stones in the past: suffice to say that Highwire was the fifth release from their Steel Wheels album, now 18 months old. Remarkably, it became the least small hit from the album, entering at number 29. New at 25 for the ludicrously-named Gary Clail On-U Sound System with Human nature, up eight to 24 went Scritti Politti and Shabba Ranks with She's a woman, and the Definition of Sound went up 7 to 22 with Wear your love like heaven. A third week at number 19 for REM's Losing my religion; only Kissing the Pink's Last film in May 1983, and Eddie Floyd's Knock on wood had done that particular trick, and it's not happened since.

Up four to 16 go the Banderas with This is your life. Caroline Buckley was the photogenic lead singer (well, the shaven-headed lead singer), assisted by Sally Herbert. The duo had met while touring with the Communards, and this was their one single of note. The best bit's at the beginning, and the descending notes during the chorus.

Feargal Sharkey had the fastest climber within the top 40, I've got news for you rose 9 to 14. Snap! came in at 13 with a Jive Bunny-style mix of their hits, uninspiringly called the Snap! megamix. Out of the top 10 went Xpansions (10-15), The Source (9-12) and Stevie B (6-11). None of the acts has yet had another significant hit. The Bee Gees continued their climb, Secret love moved up two to 10. The Clash plummeted from 2 to 9 with Should I stay or should I go?, and Quartz held at 8 with It's too late.

The highest new entry, straight in at number 7, went to James with a re-release of Sit down. We'll be telling the story of this record in a few weeks. Up seven to 6 went Simple Minds with Let there be love. The band had been doing the rounds since the late 1970s, and broke into the mainstream with 1982's Promised you a miracle. Somewhere during the mid 1980s, the public perception transformed the band from post-punk Scottish rockers into the most hateful stadium rockers on the planet: most likely to have caused this change was the double-bill of pompous singles in 1985, Don't you (forget about me) and Alive and kicking. Their last album was Street Fighting Years (1989), a nakedly political album that gave the group their only UK number one, Belfast child, and included the minor classics Mandela day and Biko. But the critical reaction was hugely negative, and the commercial reaction was poor. The comeback single was a return to the bombast of the mid-80s, and Let there be love was a song that should have come with a free lighter to wave in the air. It presaged their forthcoming album, Real Lives.

Roxette dabbed the brakes as Joyride slipped a place to 5. Up three to 4 went the Pet Shop Boys with their double-A sided single Where the streets have no name / Can't take my eyes off you / How can you expect to be taken seriously? The second song was a plaintive ballad about a lying lover; that it's one of the group's weakest works still leaves it amongst the greatest songs in a pretty decent top ten.

The week's big surprise came at number 3, as Rod Stewart's Rhythm of my heart was a non-mover. After last week's seventeen-place climb, and remembering that Hale and Pace were strictly comedy, Rod looked a certainty to have his first chart-topper in eight years. Wasn't to be nationally - though he did take the top spot in Scotland - the public didn't like his song enough, and he's never returned to the top 3 since. No surprise to find The stonk dropped a place to 2, but The one and only's eight-week climb from outside the top 100 to number 1 was now complete, as Chesney Hawkes climbed four places. Can he hold off the challenge of James next week?

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