Now the blame game will start with many already having their sights set on the party leader, Nick Clegg.

As the dust now settles on the local elections and the Alternative vote referendum the LibDems are left surveying the wreckage of their party and their position on electoral reform.






Although the AV referendum turnout was only 42% the split between the yesses at 68% and the noes at 32% was emphatic.

Even though the Labour leader Ed Miliband also supported the yes campaign the electorate seem to have singled out the LibDems as the target for their ire.

The LibDems sank on the local elections, with even the Conservatives picking up some of their losses and the SNP gaining the mist from the collapse as they took a clear majority in Scotland.

This whole day of 5th May 2011 is being seen as the ‘Nick Clegg Referendum Day’. The day on which the people sent a clear message, not about cuts, not about taxes, not about local issues or even about electotal reform, it was all about Nick.

The LibDems have split what counter attack they have by Vince Cable accusing the Tories of being ‘ruthless, calculating and thoroughly tribal’ and accusing Ed Miliband of failing to ‘deliver’ his party, which was split on AV.

But while the LibDems openly lick their wounds the Conservatives are quietly getting on with things and, according to reports, David Cameron is now preparing to scupper any hopes that the LibDems might have of securing a constitutional reform in the shape of an elected House of Lords.

We may now see a gradual undermining of Nick Clegg’s position that makes his continued leadership untenable. But would that be a wise course to take when the future of the coalition would be put at stake? Especially as Ed Miliband may well have put his party on election watch.