Clegg takes a hammering over Lords reforms

Nick Clegg was standing at the despatch box to move the second reading of the coalition’s Lords reform bill. But the reception he got was reminiscent of what used to happen to Lib Dem leaders at PMQs. He was barracked mercilessly by both Labour and Tory benches while his own benches remained oddly silent, only one of his MPs intervened on his behalf.
 
Watching the Tory benches during Clegg’s speech it was hard not to imagine a considerable rebellion tomorrow night. At one point, the interventions were coming in so thick and fast that Clegg appeared to be almost ducking at the despatch box. The Tories seemed to be relishing the trouble that the Deputy Prime Minister was in. Even as sober a figure as Malcolm Rifkind was chuckling at one point.
 
It was also evident that this debate is doing real damage to coalition relations. At one point, Nick Boles was trying to calm tensions between the Lib Dem benches and Tory opponents of Lords reform sitting on the same row as him.