If we keep doing this, we won't find anything to bloody disagree on in the bloody TV debates.

A gaffe by Nick Clegg looks likely to fuel fears among backbench Coalition MPs about his enduring friendship with David Cameron.

After a question and answer session with members of the public, the Lib Dem leader was recorded yesterday telling the Prime Minister: 'If we keep doing this, we won't find anything to bloody disagree on in the bloody TV debates.'

Mr Cameron laughed, before Mr Clegg realised he had left his lapel microphone on.
Gordon Brown suffered a similar fate during the General Election campaign when he was recorded describing angry Labour voter Gillian Duffy as a 'bigot'.