Cameron focuses on long-term plan for Autumn Statement, not short-term goodies

Much of the meat of the Autumn Statement has already been briefed, which raises the question of what’s left to get excited about tomorrow. There will likely still be a number of crowd-pleasing announcements, but ministers are clearly keen to clear some space on the decks to focus on the figures that George Osborne will announce on the deficit and the updated growth forecasts. And a lightly-filled rather than overflowing goody bag from the Chancellor also gives him the opportunity to drive home his message about the ‘responsible recovery’ and a responsible government, rather than one that starts handing out prizes the moment the recovery appears on the horizon.

David Cameron dropped some hints on the focus on the long-term rather than short-term goodies in his interview with the BBC this lunchtime, saying:

‘We have been working to a long-term plan and what you’re going to see in this Autumn Statement is the next step in that long term plan – a long-term plan to turn the country around, to get us out of our difficulty with debt and deficit, and to secure jobs and recovery for all our people.