What phase of the coalition are we in now?

It was not so long ago — the run-up to last May’s AV referendum, to be exact — that we heard the coalition would be entering a new phase. Gone was the happy synthesis of the Tories and Lib Dems that prevailed after the election, and in its place would be a government that spoke more openly, more angrily about its differences. But even if Phase 2.0 had the appearance of being more fractious, it was actually designed to keep the parties together. The idea was that, by highlighting the essential differences between the two sides, their supporters could more easily be kept on board with the overall project.

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I mention this, this morning, because it looks as though that strategy is either being ramped-up or taken in a new direction. During Phase 2.0, it turned out, the flashpoints were rarely that violent, and the ministers behind them were often the usual suspects, such as Chris Huhne or Vince Cable.