The commentators                    09-10-14

...on British politics

Labour isn’t hungry enough, forceful enough or frank enough with the voters, he said. The party and its leader should be in full-on campaigning mode, on the airwaves, holding meetings, convincing people they can take difficult decisions, will implement cuts and have answers on immigration. They should be fighting; instead they are strangely absent.
- Jenni Russell, The Times
Take your pick: Britain’s choice in next year’s election is between forgetfulness and deceit. The opposition Labour leader cannot remember the importance of Britain’s budget deficit; the Conservative prime minister pretends it will be easy to run a budget surplus and cut taxes.
- Chris Giles, Financial Times
Tim Montgomerie
It's time for Mr Cameron to get his brushes out and paint a picture of a welfare state that we can all be proud of — one that always rewards work, always provides a decent income for the poor and doesn’t load taxes on to business to fund benefit payments for people who don’t need them.
- Tim Montgomerie, The Times
The main reason we should take minority government seriously is that Labour and the Tories have projects for the 2015 parliament that they would prefer to pursue on their own terms. The Tories are supremely focused on their EU referendum. In Labour’s case, the attraction of minority government is more emotional and confused. But it is just as real.
- Martin Kettle, The Guardian
Barring a truly stunning upset, voters will today give the United Kingdom Independence Party its first elected member of the House of Commons. Equally predictable will be Ukip claims that Douglas Carswell’s victory in the Clacton-on-Sea by-election represents an earthquake, a violent tremor to shake the British political establishment. You can also set your watch by the Conservatives, who previously held the Essex seat, writing the result off as protest politics, the sort of emotional but ultimately insignificant cry of anger that voters often emit between general elections.
- James Kirkup, Daily Telegraph
Thursday 25 September Judges for the Editorial Intelligence comment awards announced their shortlists today, with ten nominations for the FT, nine for the Times, five for the Guardian, four for the Independent - and two for SubScribe. 
The Times and Sunday Times scored a clean sweep in nominations for the main award of commentariat of the year, which will be decided between David Aaronovitch, Camilla Cavendish, Daniel Finkelstein and last year's winner Caitlin Moran.
Guardian's Jay Rayner was shortlisted in the food writer category, but said that he did not wish to be considered as that award is sponsored by Tesco. 
The awards will be presented on November 25. See the full shortlists here
When you see "George" in a headline, who do you think of? The no-longer-eligible bachelor, the boy who is third in line to the throne, or the man in charge of the nation's wallet?
The Mail's splash today says "George scraps pensions tax". It feels wrong, too chummy.
We're happy with George for Clooney or the Prince, but not for Osborne. Why? 
- Are we on first-name terms? 
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