Last week's Autumn Statement did not just roll forward the Government's target dates for deficit reduction and extend austerity, it confirmed that Britain has gone backwards, says John Healey.

Our media-driven politics has a short attention span. Within two days, the chancellor's Autumn Statement had been all but overtaken by other debates – gay marriage, climate change, legalisation of drugs and, of course, the tragedy of the hospital nurse who'd taken the hoax royal call from Australia.