Unlike the red and blue teams the LD conference has a formal policy making function with the result, as we’ve seen in the past, that it can embarrass the leadership.

This year’s event, here in Glasgow, has so far gone okay for Clegg with votes on energy policy and tuition fees taking a pragmatic line.

This morning things might just be different as delegates discuss and vote on the central issue of economic strategy.

With Cable and Clegg said to be favouring different approaches it is no wonder that that is going to spill out onto the conference floor.

In this context the above YouGov polling, which makes the lead in today’s I newspaper and the Indy, is being used to add to the pressure on the party establishment.

I am actually a bit cynical about such “getting better or worse” polling because whatever the issue being people will invariably take the glum option

My guess is that the Clegg faction will win out but you can’t be certain.

Mike Smithson