Keystone MPs

As most of you probably know, for many years I have been a cheerful supporter of the Lib Dems, rather liking their view that policies were the important thing about politics, rather than the prevailing opinion that pleasing Murdoch was the important thing. It has been very disappointing to see them descending increasingly into farce over the last few weeks. From the moral high-ground that they alone have been able to occupy almost constantly since Paddy's time they have collapsed into backstabbing then gay rent-boy hilarity. I always had a feeling that maybe having better policies might make them less weaselly somehow, but the same needle-toothed ambition posesses them as everyone else in the house of commons, it seems. It would be hard to imagine a party more utterly discredited than they are now.

If I were paranoid I would suggest that it was a coincidence that news like the Mark Oaten story, such a huge surprise to everyone who knew him, came just when the Conservatives want to steal as many Lib Dem voters as they can. A very big coincidence that could result in a conveniently lucrative directorship at a conservative-friendly company for a disgraced former MP. But then if I were paranoid I would probably still be worrying about the way that the most credible potential leadership competitor for Gordon Brown died when he was out walking on his own in the highlands.

Fortunately I'm not paranoid and I'm sure both incidents are just the kind of random stupidities that the universe throws our way to remind us that it really is all just meaningless chaos...