But today's real lesson is that – however much you call a government "progressive" – it will not achieve meaningful political reform when it is led by the party of the establishment. Cameron reneged on his private promise to even-handedness in the AV referendum last year, and now he has reneged on his promise to deliver Clegg's reform. The parliamentary arithmetic made a rainbow coalition of centre-left forces difficult in 2010, but had it happened a reformed Lords would very likely already have happened.

The Liberal Democrats need to give some urgent thought to that. Much has gone wrong since they jumped into bed with the Conservatives, and it is time for the party to ask itself some pretty searching questions about what it has actually got out of an arrangement that it continues to prop up.

Governments are remembered for solid things such as the NHS, privatised industries or devolved parliaments. A democratic House of Lords could have ranked oon that list, but nothing else the Liberal Democrats have achieved will. Clegg's last gasp is that fixing the economy remains the coalition's reason to be. But even if, as I suspect, Clegg somehow sincerely believes this despite the evidence of the double dip, no one can pretend that the oversight of cuts is a distinctly progressive task. If a Liberal Democrat party that is now haemorrhaging members wants to reclaim the p-word, it needs to consider change at the top. The shattering of Clegg's self-esteem in the looking glass could bring seven years of bad luck.

It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go!

David Cameron says he will press ahead with a vote next year to force through constituency boundary changes that will benefit his party at the next election, even though Nick Clegg has said he will instruct Liberal Democrat MPs to vote down the measures.

Cameron said: "I am going to say to every MP, 'Look, the House of Commons ought to be smaller, less expensive and we ought to have seats which are exactly the same size.'

"I think everyone should come forward and vote for that proposal because it is a very sensible proposal and it will be put forward."

He would not be drawn on whether Liberal Democrat ministers would be deemed to be in breach of the ministerial code if they voted against government measures, but if he were to make such a ruling, he would in effect be spelling the end of the coalition.

As expected the Ashcroft poll was in line with national polling in showing a big collapse for the Lib Dem party which chalked up a respectable 14% in the seat behind Labour and the Tories in 2010. The chart above shows how those general election Lib Dem supporters are currently split and a massive 43% said they didn’t know.

Of the 2010 Lib Dems who did give a choice Labour was picking up an astonishing 23 votes for each one that going to the Tories.

On top of that the Greens were the choice of three times as many ex-LDs as the Tories.