The Week in Review: Schlurp! The Lib Dems just imploded - politics.co.uk

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Something rather grisly and unpleasant happened this week. The Liberal Democrats, a party always more susceptible to the perils of political scandal than they would like voters to believe, were forced to new lows over the Lord Rennard affair. They have turned one man's political reputation into a self-defeating battle over Nick Clegg's leadership and the future of their party. If any political party is capable of battering itself to death with its own inflatable hammer, that party is the Lib Dems. No-one really understands how it got quite this bad. Until now the preposterously complicated internal party organisation had been treated as a source of mild amusement. Lib Dems are the kind of people who board games with complex rules. When one of them bears a grudge, the fun disappears and those rules are used to devastating effect. That was what Clegg was forced to resort to as deep schisms developed. Wounds are being created which will probably never properly heal. The party which surprised so many with its unity of purpose as an incredibly tough general election campaign approaches suddenly finds itself riven with faction. The Tories' threat is entirely external these days. As well as worrying about Ukip, which spent the week trying to get over the embarrassment caused by its cringingly homophobic councillor David Silvester, the party faced yet another barrage from Ed Miliband in PMQs over cost-of-living. Labour went all right-wing on benefits, too, with a big speech from new work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves in which she proved the opposition could be mean to benefit scroungers, too. In the era of Benefits Street, which some have condemned with almost as much anger as the show has generated for its subjects, Labour tough talk seems inevitable. IDS, who is naturally refusing to be outbid, responded with some meaty remarks of his own against White Dee, Black Dee, Fungi and all the other specimens on the Channel 4 show. The law and order theme is hard to shake off this week. The Police Federation, having had its reputation trashed by the plebgate affair, spent the week laying the groundwork for its rehabilitation. Crime figures out this week actually showed Britain is becoming a relatively well-behaved country, although sexual offences are going up. But that did not stop Labour wanting to do more, with a frankly baffling proposal to make mocking the relatives of armed service personnel a criminal offence. This was also the week, believe it or not, when an indiscretion of sorts led to us reporting about an earnest wish emerging from Downing Street: the idea that the Conservatives could somehow escape from making as many promises at the next general election. Pledges are hard to break if they haven't been made in the first place, aren't they? Perhaps one option Dave should consider as this year's European elections approach is a campaign song, with him as the centrepiece. He could take a leaf from Silvio Berlusconi's book, for example: this shocker was used in 2008 elections which his party won... Monday What Blair says when you try and citizen's arrest him Tony Blair brushes off yet another attempt to citizen's arrest him over the Iraq War This Is Your Brain Online: How Twitter changed the word 'rape' We're being desensitised to the use of violent sexual imagery online - could we also become desensitised to the real thing? From beyond the grave, the civil servant who saved child benefit finally reveals his secret Man behind major political scandal over the introduction of child benefit is finally revealed Tuesday Comment: Benefits Street represents a modern day witch-hunt CHannel 4 have joined Ukip and the Tories in turning immigrants and benefit claimants into modern day witches. May urged to stop Hungarian 'Nazis' coming to London Theresa May faces pressure to ban a looming protest by Hungarian far-right politicians in London It's Raining Men to number one? Chart bid answers Ukip homophobia Facebook campaign to get gay anthem It's Raining Men to number one in the charts gathers momentum Wednesday Comment: Miliband's canny political attack provided a moral victory on Syrian refugees Ed Miliband deserves credit for a significant moral and strategic victory on the issue of Syrian refugees. It's just a shame we have a prime minster who needed to be convinced. PMQs verdict: Half a hope for Miliband Every so often Ed Miliband looks like he has made a bit of a breakthrough in PMQs. Then he ruins it. Today, he managed to fit the whole process into six short questions. Gagging bill: Ministers triumphant after Commons victory The 'gagging bill' threatening to make campaigning by charities harder in future election periods took a decisive step towards becoming law today, as ministers rejected hard-fought Lords amendments designed to protect freedom of speech. Thursday Comment: Attacking clergy should be made a hate crime Two hundred members of the clergy have been violently assaulted over the last five years. We need to ramp up the penalties for this attack on the religious. Comment: The territorial army can sort out jobless young people The TA offers full training and pay -so why aren't there queues outside the recruitment centre? Tory MP calls police to protect him against 81-year-old campaigner Police were called to protect a Tory MP from a group of elderly campaigners after he insisted they had not given him assurances about security. Friday Stats warfare: Numbers fly in cost-of-living battle Labour's general election strategy of focusing on cost-of-living issues is coming under fire from the government, which is insisting wages are now rising faster than inflation. Labour on the march to criminalise soldier insults A verbal assault against armed forces personnel and their relatives could become a criminal offence if Labour gets into government. Buying whistleblowers' silence: 'Gagging clauses' exposed Staff concerns about patient and child safety are being covered up by confidentiality clauses	Advertise your job vacancies here "New EU targets are useful as they put a peg in the ground" says IET The European Commission has outlined its plans for climate and energy policy until 2030. Read IET comment here. Selective Catholic school admissions policy decision quashed over "arguable error" ‘Inconsequential technicality’ leads to quashing of schools adjudicator decision on London Oratory School. Tree of Hope: "Piece of the Puzzle, Autism Awareness Shoe" The "Piece of the Puzzle, Autism Awareness Shoe" has been created especially for Blossom For Children and Tree of Hope. More long term support needed for families displaced by flooding say researchers Planning for the emotional aftermath of devastating floods is as important as the immediate impact of such emergencies. "Warm words" on mental health from Nick Clegg welcome - but the reality is budget cuts Comment on Nick Clegg Mental health speech from charity Rethink Mental Illness. IET responds to OECD findings that girls still trail boys in maths The maths ability of teenage girls in the UK trails behind that of boys, according to figures from the OECD. Voice: Research like Sutton Trust report should highlight importance of low wages Voice comments on Sutton Trust childcare report.

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