So as all predicted the LibDems lost the AV referendum and lots of their councillors will now have to find new interests to fill up their spare time. And the only people who seem to be surprised by this are the LibDems themselves.
So brings to a close a wretched year in government. It's been a year of extraordinary political naiviety, vanity and arrogance.
So where did it all go wrong for Our Nick?
1. The received view is that the biggest mistake was entering government with the perfidious Tories in the first place. Wrong! Nick Clegg was absolutely right and had very little choice but to enter into Coalition. No matter how fraught the experience of government, Clegg made the right judgement as to have refused would have made his party look like perenial lovers of oppostion, more comfortable with pontificating, protesting and preaching than actually getting things done. That so far has been the only sound judgement Clegg has made.
2. The love-in with Dave. Many Liberal voters defecting from Labour felt instantly betrayed by the Coalition. Any sensivity to this was lost on Our Nick who openly seemed to be enjoying himself. Credit for him for being honest but he should have taken a more business like approach to proceedings. The LibDems were suddenly a party of the centre right.
3. Sheffield Forgemasters. Ah Sheffield! Sheffield Forgemasters was Our Nick's "Sheffield". Cleggs's response to questioning why a loan was being scrapped was to feign righteous indignation and acuse Labour of deliberating setting up an unaffordable loan knowing that a subsequent government would have to scrap it. It was Labour, he protested, who had let down the people of Sheffield.
4. Tuition fees.
5. Lack of humility. In goverment the LibDems adopted the same self-righteous tone of protest that they used in opposition. Anyone who opposed or disagreed with their views simply didn't understand it. If the disagreement was from a member of the Labour Party they were railed at for creating such a financial mess in the first place and invited to get on their knees in contrition and beg the country for forgiveness. On one memorable Question Time Normal Lamb, this remember was the LibDem MP who likened himself to an anti-apartheid protestor working from within, squarely laid the blame for tuition fees upon Labour. No one likes a prig. No one likes a politician who ducks responsibility.
6. The NHS - the LibDem passed on their one chance to demonstrate they were creditable Coalition party and that they were capable of reigning in the Tories. Had they blocked and thrown out this unpopular legislation they would have been widely praised, all nicely in time for the AV referendum. Inexplicably the parliamentary party chose to openly back this. The "pause" in proceedings fooled no one.
7. And finally, the final stupidest, naiveistist, vainist and politically suicidal reason of them all - the constant abuse directed at the Labour Party. The AV referendum needed Labour supporters to get it through. The Tories were opposed, the LibDems for and Labour divided. Needing the backing and goodwill of Labour voters, what did the LibDems do? From the off take a hostile and antagonistic approach to Labour, ridiculing them at every turn, shrieking at them in a way that outshone even the most virulent Tory backbencher. Utter utter stupidity.
So there it ends dear reader, you reap what you sow. With some astute political savvy it needed not have been like this at all.
The LibDems will now indulge in ritual and deep self-pity and in looking for reasons they will blame Labour and the Tories in equal measure. The last people they will blame are themselves.
