At the Tory spring conference in Cardiff last weekend, the number of protesters could be counted in double figures, according to journalists at the event.
By contrast there were an estimated 300 malcontents at a Lib Dem Scotland conference at the same time. Some Lib Dems fear that the number of demonstrators coming to Sheffield for the party’s spring conference this weekend could run into tens of thousands.
Tim Shipman and Jason Groves at the Mail have a great piece today on the £2m “ring of steel” being thrown around the event to protect Nick Clegg. Morale is low after the Lib Dems came sixth in last week’s Barnsley by-election.
For now it appears that anger at the smaller party’s “betrayals” (such as tuition fees) has outweighed the tiny point that a Tory chancellor – and Conservative-dominated cabinet – is leading the programme of public spending cuts.
Somewhere, in private, a Tory is laughing.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey