Nick Clegg is making David Cameron sweat as the pair edge towards a deal that would put the Conservative leader in Downing Street.
Both sides will resume talks today. Their negotiating teams spent nearly six hours at the Cabinet Office yesterday, trying to thrash out an agreement, but Liberal Democrat sources suggested that it might be Thursday before Mr Cameron could think about walking into No 10.
William Hague, who led the talks for the Tories, and Danny Alexander, his Lib Dem counterpart, tried to reassure the markets by announcing that cutting the deficit would be at the heart of any agreed programme for government. There were no details about how such a programme would look.
Tory sources suggested that a deal — short of full coalition but with agreement on a range of legislation — was within reach today. Liberal Democrats, however, described this as “optimistic”. A senior source said: “It’s more important to get this right than to be hasty. But we need to reach a deal before the public turns against the process.”
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It would probably be cheaper and quicker to just have another election, where everyone is allowed to vote.
I hope all those supporting a coalition of the opposition is watching this fiasco.