JOURNALISTS are supposed to hold governments to account. But they are also expected to hold up a light to oppositions.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats in England have both faced TV and newspaper grillings.

Columnists too are sensing blood in the water as the two main UK opposition parties try to dent a predicted Tory victory, even deny Boris Johnson a Brexit-backing majority.

Criticism comes from friends and foes.

The Guardian

The liberal giant of Fleet Street might not embrace Corbynism but it has been documenting the flaws of pre-Brexit capitalism.

Its columnist Frances Ryan, who has highlighted the plight of the marginalised and the disabled, reckons Labour has a chance to turn things round in the election: by putting the spotlight on the austerity imposed by the Conservatives.

She describes a decade of austerity that has “shrunk the British state to such a degree that it is no longer able to fulfil its basic functions”.

She is surprised at the lack of attention in to social issues in this winter election “while the Salvation Army has warned hundreds of homeless people will die as temperatures plummet”.

She wrote: “An election that was always doomed to be dominated by Brexit has become a soulless affair, in which soaring poverty or crumbling services are given little more than a shrug. Many walks to work are now lined with homeless people. Our disabled neighbours are trapped indoors without social care.”

“ But watch a news bulletin of a leader on the campaign trail or flick through the front pages.

Ms Ryan backs Labour policies but thinks the party has still to win the arguments. It has, she noted, just a week to do so.

She wrote: “Labour need to set out not only the extent of creeping poverty and broken services, but explain that they are entirely possible to fix. As a panicking Boris Johnson digs in to secure a majority, the coming days will likely be filled with more bluster and falsities.”

The Times

If Ms Ryan, writing for a largely English audience, bemoans Brexit trumping austerity. In Scotland, Alex Massie, points out another constitutional concern is still crippling Labour.

Mr Massie explained: “About a quarter of Scottish voters think Brexit will influence their choice of party more than independence will and an equal number think independence is a more important issue than Brexit. Meanwhile, 37 percent agree that “both Brexit and Scottish independence will influence my vote”.

“Just 12 per cent told Ipsos Mori that neither of this country’s two great constitutional dramas is a salient issue. Almost a third of Labour’s support in Scotland comes from this ‘not bothered’ portion of the electorate and this is almost the only segment of the electorate in which Labour is the most popular party. Unfortunately, it is an extremely small pond in which to be fishing for voters.”

So Labour ducks “having coherent positions” on big constitutional issues. This looks, said Mr Massie, like incompetence. He adds: “And even, perhaps, something worse than that. There is a whiff of cowardice about it too.”

Labour cannot please both the Yessers and the No-ers in its traditional support. “But, “says Massie,” “the failure to choose a side, and to do so persuasively, dooms Labour to irrelevance. Worse still, it suggests the party may not yet have reached rock bottom.”

The National

Lesley Riddoch does not hide her dislike of Jo Swinson.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Ms Riddoch says, is “over-hyped”, “irritating” and has “a monstrously guid conceit of herself”.

But the columnist still does not blame the party’s woes on its faltering leader.

That, she reckons is down to lack of vision, their conservative absence of a change agenda.

Ms Riddoch explained: “So, do the LibDems think everything in Britain is basically OK?

“It seems years of ducking, weaving, dealing and calculating have left the party without a vision and supporters have nothing to cling on to, save the wavering glamour of a tactical vote.

“Now I ken you’re thinking: who cares?

“But consider this.

“The Tories need Jo Swinson to take votes from Labour in England and Wales to guarantee the majority Boris Johnson craves. Glory be – that stealthy wee plan might not be working out.

So while there’s life – and

more teeth-grating performances

by Jo Swinson – there’s hope.”