Hollywood ending unlikely for Jeremy Hunt, with progress on economy slow | Larry Elliott

Chancellor is upbeat but there is little chance of autumn statement changing voter perceptions of Tory plan

If the opinion polls are right, Jeremy Hunt is on the political equivalent of death row. Voters have passed judgment on the government and it is only a matter of time before the sentence is carried out.

That's not the way the chancellor sees it. For a condemned man, he was remarkably cheerful as he did the rounds of the TV studios in the run-up to Wednesday's autumn statement. His message was simple: things may look bleak for the government but all is not lost. There is too much negativity. The long-term prospects are fantastic". The chancellor is confident there will be an 11th-hour pardon from the British people.