Most voters will not have followed the intricacies of the Liberal Democrats’ arguments on the Lisbon Treaty. As far as they have noticed anything they will have picked up a sense of disarray and silliness over the party’s proposal to hold a referendum on whether Britain should pull out of the EU. Clegg is understandably frustrated about getting heard in a media obsessed by the Brown/Cameron battle, but seeking attention by being ‘tough’ as a leader in demanding that his dissenting frontbenchers should resign only highlights division.

Clegg should be patient about getting publicity. He will get lots if it looks as if the next election will be close. He will struggle to get very much if it seems that either Labour of the Conservatives will win by a safe margin. There is not much he can do about it, as Messrs Ashdown, Kennedy and Campbell would tell him from their frustrating experiences.

But there is no point in getting headlines when they are all negative. Clegg faced a genuine problem over this issue as the Lib Dems are split on whether a referendum is necessary on the Lisbon treaty, but if he had taken a more relaxed view in relation to the dissenters there would have been less media attention. When things are going wrong it is always better not to be noticed. Sometimes there are advantages in operating in an indifferent media climate. This was one of those occasions when Clegg should have toasted the lack of interest in his party.