What the LibDems are up to

David Laws’ attack on his former BFF Michael Gove is leading the news bulletins today, and rightly. Its wider significance lies in that the Liberal Democrats have decided it’s time to start picking fights not just with Tories in general but Michael Gove in particular. So Gove, having offered all that hospitality to David Laws, finds the guy he thought was his clansman wield the dagger on the instructions of his commander. This isn’t quite Westmister’s equivalent of the Glencoe Massacre, but the dynamics of the coalition have changed – in precisely the way that James Forsyth outlines in his political column this week.

The LibDems’ support halved soon after they went into coalition. No point chasing these lefties, thought Nick Clegg, but at least I have five years to rebuild my party. From the centre, perhaps, making a genuine liberal party – one which may poach some Tory supporters. But just over a year from the next election, the poll (below) suggests that the LibDems have failed to rebuild.