Clegg out in the cold

Lib Dem councillors seeking re-election in Nick Clegg's own constituency of Sheffield Hallam have left him off their election leaflets. He is, according to today's Guardian, nowhere to be seen. Maybe, just maybe, it is because they only put Lib Dems on their leaflets, and Nick Clegg doesn't really qualify as a Lib Dem anymore. Tough luck, Nick. It was all so different this time last year.

St Nick - appeared on toast everywhere last year

Back then he was riding high on a wave of popular support. He was, (Ahem! clears throat and pauses for dramatic effect) the best thing since sliced bread (see what I did there!). People just loved the way he:

• Promised to vote against any rise in tuition fees (very popular pledge, that one)
• Was sticking the boot into the Conservatives (he really couldn't agree with that lot)
• Was prepared to defend the NHS against any top-down reorganisation (hurrah for Nick)

Great to see that he stuck to those important principles. These were amongst some of the most important issues faced by people across the country and especially in his own constituency. For starters, Sheffield Hallam is home to thousands of students. I'm not sure that many of them would welcome a photo of a grinning Clegg dropping onto their doormat right now. And next month, at the local elections, hundreds of one-time Lib Dem councillors will be feeling much the same.

When your own party can't stand the sight of your face, it may be time to think again. Thinking again is precisely what a high profile Lib Dem councillor is calling on Clegg to do. Warren Bradley, Leader of the Lib Dems on Liverpool City Council, has called on Clegg to pull the plug on the coalition - to save the party from annihilation. I doubt he will change course now - he's too far down the road to becoming a true-blue Tory. It would be great if he did - to grow a conscience and 'screw his courage to the sticking place'. However, I intend to stick to my earlier prediction. At the time of the next General Election, Clegg will have resigned as Lib Dem leader and will be standing as a Conservative. Heaven knows - he practically is one now.

"Look everyone - I'm turning blue"