“This has been a surprisingly successful autumn [for…] the Liberal Democrats”

So writes Martin Kettle in The Guardian:

This has been a surprisingly successful autumn not just for the Tories, but the Liberal Democrats too. The Lib Dems have put their distinctive stamp on several progressive announcements in the autumn statement, not least the commitment to uprate benefits in line with inflation, on which Osborne vacillated. But the extra spending on work placements for young people, the targeted extra money for toddler care and the spending on infrastructure projects all bear the mark of Lib Dem pressure inside the coalition.