Cleggmania

With Nick Clegg being compared to Winston Churchill in the Sunday press, it is perhaps time for a bit of calm reflection. Here is one admittedly anecedotal antidote to the 'zero to hero' theme from the BBC: Clegg

Here is another corrective from Sussex University politics lecturer Tim Bale: Bale

Much more scrutiny is now being applied to the Liberal Democrats' policies and some of them don't stand up to much scrutiny. A predominantly Europhobic electorate is also likely to find out they are the most Europhile party, although they have toned that emphasis down in recent years.

What is most worrying about this election campaign is that it is not educating the electorate about the scale of the measures that will be needed once it is over. There will have to be some difficult decisions about tax rises and public spending cuts. The electorate are being given the impression that it can all be dealt with, say, by cutting the number of administrators in the National Health Service.

It can't be and if whatever government is in office is not prepared to do more, the likely consequence is a cut in the UK's debt rating, pushing up the cost of servicing the debt and a run on sterling.