Gosling's Grouse: Tough Osborne or a big compromise?

GOSLING'S GROUSE

Was the Autumn Statement tough talking for tough times, or a big compromise?

For a Chancellor who started his period in office promising to cut the deficit, it seems odd that he just delivered a statement that committed his government to spending an additional £112bn. Was this George Osborne the Iron Chancellor being tough on the public sector, or was it the Consensus Chancellor? He certainly struggled to keep the attention of MPs as the Speaker of the House three times had to intervene during the Statement to tell the rowdy members to pipe down. Then Osborne launched into a series of what he clearly thought were examples of an iron hand on the nation's cof...