Please explain (UK English)
1. Does 'under the steerage' mean 'under the guidance' ?And does 'doing his papers' mean 'a research'?

Under the steerage of his close ally, the chancellor George Osborne—who is quietly doing his papers in an adjacent seat—his coalition government’s spending cuts and . . .

2. Does 'not raising their game' mean 'not raising their plan' ?

This is the more acute context, a suggestion that the Tories are not raising their game to address the British economy’s emerging weaknesses, in which Mr Cameron’s native blitheness may be starting to grate.

3. What does 'studied' here mean ?

Mr Cameron is a studied but accomplished orator.

4. What does this mean 'holding that government to ransom'?

Mr Cameron divines a “deeply chilling” prospect of the separatists holding that government to ransom.

Thanks

http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21649461-conservative-prime-minister-fight-his-life-time-put-his-shoulder

Question

Please explain (UK English)
1. Does 'under the steerage' mean 'under the guidance' ?And does 'doing his papers' mean 'a research'?

Under the steerage of his close ally, the chancellor George Osborne—who is quietly doing his papers in an adjacent seat—his coalition government’s spending cuts and . . .

2. Does 'not raising their game' mean 'not raising their plan' ?

This is the more acute context, a suggestion that the Tories are not raising their game to address the British economy’s emerging weaknesses, in which Mr Cameron’s native blitheness may be starting to grate.

3. What does 'studied' here mean ?

Mr Cameron is a studied but accomplished orator.

4. What does this mean 'holding that government to ransom'?

Mr Cameron divines a “deeply chilling” prospect of the separatists holding that government to ransom.

Thanks

http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21649461-conservative-prime-minister-fight-his-life-time-put-his-shoulder

Answer

1) 'Under the steerage' means under the control of. Here it is saying that George Osborne, as chancellor has been in control of the government's spending cuts, in the cabinet of David Cameron.

2) 'Doing his papers' is more literal. The interview is taking place on a train if you read the opening paragraph, so 'who is quietly doing his papers in an adjacent seat' means George Osborne is doing paperwork in the seat next to Cameron on the train.

3) 'Raising your game' is an expression meaning to deal with something and get a job done.

4) 'Studied' here means that he has learned how to become a good speaker it didn't come naturally to him, he had to work or 'study' to achieve it.

5) 'Holding to ransom'. Ok you need the section before to make sense of it, its quite complicated. Cameron says the only way the Labour party can win the election is with the support of the Scottish National Party (SNP). The SNP only acts in Scotland, not the rest of the UK (England, Wales and Northern Ireland).

So in order for Labour to put through policies it wants it needs the support of the SNP, which has a different agenda to the other political parties as it only has representatives in Scotland. Basically Labour will have to concede some demands to the SNP to get what it wants. Cameron thinks these demands will harm the UK as a whole, hence they are being 'held to ransom'.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/hold+to+ransom. From this website:

To hold to ransom: to force someone to do something by putting them in a situation where something bad will happen to them if they do not