Now is an historic opportunity to reform politics for the better, to open up politics and government, to roll back an authoritarian state.  If the Tory right is too small minded to allow Cameron to do a deal with Clegg then they are as stupid as they are short-sighted.  This is an historic opportunity to realign politics along a liberal-conservative axis.  It is the chance to destroy the Labour Party as a party of government forever. If the price is real reform of the electoral system then that is a price well worth paying to free us from the economic destruction wrought time and time again, decade after decade, by a statist, big government Labour Party.  Fraser Nelson, the editor of the Spectator, says he will fight Cameron.

Don’t do it my friend, at least see what deal is on the table, this is the chance to achieve Margaret Thatcher’s ultimate ambition of two competing non-socialist parties of government.

See also : Getting Real : The Change Coalition (Part II)

Guido thinks the Libdems have learnt a hard lesson. A lesson learnt by Mandelson, Blair and Brown in the mid-90s. When the British press launches an onslaught against you it hurts, you might want to believe it doesn’t work, but it does.

After the post-TV debate Cleggmania the front-page scrutiny of Clegg was brutal, it wasn’t a pretty sight, some of it was loopy, but it definitely put uncertainty into the minds of many voters. You can kid yourself otherwise, but the tabloids can do damage when they go negative…

Nick Clegg says…

“It seems this morning that it is the Conservative party that has more votes and more seats though not an absolute majority and that is why I think it is now for the Conservative party to prove that it is capable of seeking to govern in the national interest…”

Quentin Letts says…

“There could be a lot of pencil sucking at the palace”.

Calvert says he is hopeful.  No sign of Ed Balls at the count yet…