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At worst, the David Cameron is now being "led by the nose" by a man whose own party suffered disastrous performance on election night, despite a publicity circus which made Clegg something of a media icon.

So now, the new British prime minister must devote much of his time to keeping Clegg and company, all 57 of them, relatively sweet – as that happens, the Liberal Democrats will be quietly absorbed by the bigger political machine.

However, Mr. Clegg, who likes to think he is speaking for the majority of the electorate on all subjects, has personally come up trumps – the leader of a tiny party is courted by the PM and now sitting at his side with all the trinkets of power.

Pro-Tory press have gone to great lengths to minimize the importance of the fact that they opposed each other’s policies and fought in various ways for a two- decades prior to signing the coalition last night.

For a party was formed in opposition to the policies of the Conservatives one can now only wonder how long the Liberal Democrats and this hotch-botch coalition will last.

Some say the Liberal Democrats will now lose their followers and swallowed up by the Tory’s – for that betrayal will anyone blame Nick?