The commentators                    04-12-14

...on the Autumn Statement

The overwhelming priority the fiscal position has been given by this chancellor in explaining the crisis is a mistake driven by politics. What matters still more is the inability of the economy to generate rapid productivity growth and avoid a return to the debt-driven demand of pre-crisis years. On this, the “economic plan” has little to say. The chancellor can respond that the opposition also has next to nothing to say on these risks. That is true. The debate on policy in the run-up to the general election is utterly dispiriting.
- Martin Wolf, Financial Times
Thank goodness. George Osborne failed to cut the deficit and is borrowing far more than he ever expected. His silliest economic measure was always to try to slash spending in 2010-12 as Britain headed for recession. It did not work. Spending rose, and is rising still. The result has been to give Britain the highest growth rate in the developed world.
- Simon Jenkins, The Guardian
Tim Montgomerie
Osborne has probably maximised his chance of re-election by abandoning Plan A for shock-therapy deficit reduction. It was never announced but he’s been following a softer, gentler Plan B for some time. The only people more horrified than fiscal hawks such as me are Labour’s two Eds. They’re being beaten by Mr Osborne’s reworking of their own, more gradual deficit strategy. The high-spending party may be out of office but many of its predilections are still in power.
- Tim Montgomerie, The Times
We have witnessed a significant moment in parliamentary history. Ed Balls and George Osborne have faced off across the dispatch box for the final time in a major set piece debate. Like Holmes and Moriarty at the Reichenbach falls, the two deadly rivals circled warily, before hurling themselves at one another, and plunging towards their icy destiny – a destiny that will be determined in May 2015.
- Dan Hodges, Daily Telegraph
George Osborne is a better and more truthful man than his Labour foes, as he showed us again yesterday. His party is the only one fit to govern after next May. But it is nowhere near honest enough, if our children and grandchildren are to inhabit a solvent Britain.
- Max Hastings, Daily Mail
Kevin Maguire
The most telling verdict on Osborne's nightmare vision for the future wasn't Ed Balls's Labour response in the House of Commons, though his broken promises punches hit home. It was Nick Clegg's vanishing act, disappearing to Cornwall to avoid being seen on TV as a nodding dog behind Osborne. When the leader of the Liberal Democrats, yellow Tories who voted for the bedroom tax and every other Tory outrage, flees 300 miles to get away from his erstwhile allies you know it's a poisonous package
- Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror
The interplay between politics and economics is demanding. Ultimately a political message must be the equivalent of a musical composition. The elements must come together to form a coherent whole. Currently Osborne has composed two entirely different themes and I do not see how they form a single melodious electoral tune
- Steve Richards, The Independent
Osborne has stuck broadly to the abiding political principle of tax reform; whatever you do, there will be winners and losers, so you better make sure the winners have a lot more votes than the losers. Will any of this help Mr Osborne’s party achieve a majority at the next election? It’s impossible to know, but at least the choice is now an abundantly clear one.
- Jeremy Warner, Daily Telegraph
A small country with ten national newspapers (a dozen, if you count the FT and Morning Star) might be expected to see its society accurately reflected on the newsstands. So what do we see today? Diversity? Multiculturalism? Do we see that warmth that Paddington was promised?
No, we see rejection, selfishness, triviality. Five papers splash on our terror of immigration; eight carry stories and/or photographs of people fighting to buy a cut-price coffee maker that will sit unused in a cupboard. The only paper to feature neither on the front - The Times - addresses a different kind of consumerism with an oversized cake and the word Eat! in huge letters.
- Paddington, immigration, mental health and the worst of Britain 
Tuesday 25 November  The Editorial Intelligence Comment Awards were announced at a breakfast ceremony this morning. David Aaronovitch was named Commentariat of the Year and his newspaper, The Times, won the award for the best comment pages. Stevie Spring, who led the judges, made it a hat-trick for the Times by choosing Melanie Reid for the chairman's award.
The FT, Guardian, Mail and Sunday Times each picked up two awards. SubScribe was also among the winners. You can see the full list of awards here. A video of the presentations will be posted online later. 
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Comment digest courtesy of
Editorial Intelligence
Black Friday
December 3
Autumn Statement
December 2
Gordon Brown
December 1
Black Friday
Rochester
November 28
Scotland
November 27
European finance
November 26
David Mellor
November 25
Lewis Hamilton
November 24
British politics
Cameron at G20

November 21
British politics
November 20 
British politics
November 19 
British politics
November 18
British politics
November 17
British politics
Ed Miliband
November 14
Labour and Ed Miliband
November 13
Forex-rigging scandal
November 12
British politics
November 11
The Labour Party
November 10
Ed Miliband
Branson crash




November 7
British politics
November 6
Midterms and UK politics
November 5
British politics
November 4
British politics
November 3
Space tourism
Picture


October 31
British politics
October 30
Immigration
October 29
Immigration
October 28
British politics
October 27
British politics
Picture
October 24
NHS
October 23
British politics
October 22
Ukip
October 21
Britain and EU
October 20
British politics
October 17
Lord Freud
October 16
British politics
October 15
British politics
October 14
British politics
October 13
British politics
Picture


October 10
Isis and UK politics
October 9
British politics
October 8
British politics
October 7
LibDem conference
October 6
British politics