Why are the LibDems doing so badly? It depresses me as it seems to confirm that if a political party is brave and does the sensible thing it gets punished in the polls.

Tony Blair, here, has what I think is a good explanation. He says that the LibDems campaigned on a platform to the left of Labour but in government is to the right of Labour. Maybe the electorate is right in finding that unacceptable.

And, Ken Clark on the subject here.

Oh. So UK education is not that bad! Here. Note the observation re Finland. Gove's free-school experiment is premised on what's been done in Finland. Are Finnish free-schools slightly too free? What is probably needed is freedom for schools, yes, but within a strong regulatory and inspection context.

Storm exposes stone age landscape. Here.

Benefits-cap. Seems fair to me. Who can argue with this?

'Young people feel they have nothing to live for'. Here. Prince's Trust report here. Young people who have no jobs and little education, or who are on wages which means they will always live a life of poverty get depressed about their prospects and some have contemplated suicide. Well what a surprise! At least it shows their brains are working and are drawing logical conclusions.