An end to austerity, really? It's just a sop to older Tory voters

Rather than truly instigating a 'new decade of renewal' austerity, the spending review has only an election in mind

There were plenty of shaking heads on the opposition benches when Sajid Javid claimed that his review of Whitehall spending meant "we are turning the page on austerity and beginning a new decade of renewal".

The thinktanks that pore over the government's finances were kind to the chancellor, agreeing that a 13.8bn, above-inflation increase in Whitehall budgets meant a page had been turned. But they emphasised that there was a long way to go before ministers would see the back of austerity.

It is assumed the huge number of new police trainees is part of Boris Johnson's voter-friendly policy playbook