What Huhne’s case means for the Lib Dems

The biggest danger for the Liberal Democrats from this coming trial is that it turns the party into the butt of everybody’s jokes. Having gone into government and lost much of their original support by taking tough decisions, they have consoled themselves with the hope that they have now established themselves as a serious political party.
 
Their aim at the next election will be to present themselves as a credible party of government who will make the Tories more compassionate and Labour more fiscally responsible. But at the top party they are aware that there is a danger that a trial of Chris Huhne and his ex-wife Vicky Pryce could make the party appear to be a bit of a joke, airing much of its dirty laundry in public.
 
I suspect that the reshuffle we will see later today will be the Lib Dem version of the limited reshuffle that followed Liam Fox’s departure from the Cabinet.