Here at Bright Green we try to avoid partisan attacks. They are pretty boring. But this is quite an impressive hattrick.

Less than a week after Vince Cable decided to back the findings of the Browne review, and so support the raising of tuition fees that he had promised he would scrap; a few days after every single Lib Dem voted against Caroline Lucas’ amendment to allow proportional representation – despite both Labour and Tory MPs rebelling to vote for it; they have now – in another amendment to the AV Bill – voted against another longheld Lib Dem principle – votes at 16.

This is, of course, particularly painful this week. With the clarification that Child Benefit will now end at 16, many had argued that we’ve seen the final nail in the coffin for the argument that the state sees 16 and 17 year olds as children.

Lib Dem activists must be hurting this week – but I suppose Nick Clegg is treating them like a plaster – ripping them all off at once.