Britain’s Best Political Cartoons 2017
Edited by Tim Benson
(Random House Books, £12.99)

IN AN introduction lamenting the absence of women editorial cartoonists in the national press, Tim Benson offers the Morning Star a backhanded compliment as the “only daily newspaper that draws on the work of female political cartoonists.”

But he can’t resist the gratuitous barb that they work “unpaid” which indeed they, along with the paper’s many volunteers, do.

Given the Star’s precarious finances that generosity of spirit is, and has always been, a source of personal and political pride to those giving their services for free and it’s greatly appreciated by the paper’s readers and sympathisers.

Benson’s protestations are also a touch disingenuous, in that out of the 189 cartoons in this anthology, only one is by a woman — the greatly talented Nicola Jennings of the Guardian.

Pertinently, she told Benson that: “My male counterparts seem to know it’s all a game. I’m interested in exposing the truth.”

Good point.

So perhaps it’s unsurprising that not one of the Star women cartoonists made the cut for Benson’s book. Neither did their male counterparts, apart from the irrepressible Skelf, who surfaces just once while wearing his Tribune hat.

The pantheon of mainstream masters — Adams, Bell, Brookes, Brown, Jennings (Ben), Morland, Riddell and Rowson — have responded to the politics of the year with lacerating satire and the rich variety of highly individual graphic styles reflects personal or editorial ideological preferences.

Disconcertingly, however, there’s a discernible dearth of humour — the overall mood is one of despondency, perhaps reflective of the dreariness of the times.

Michal Boncza