Yesterday Clegg told us: “my office only received concerns indirectly and anonymously”. We now know they were detailed, specific allegations. The Telegraph have just upped the Rennard ante, revealing the specific allegations they put to the LibDem election head of comms Jonny Oates back in April 2010. Oates is now Clegg’s Chief of Staff. The lawyers eventually sat on the story after the strength of the denials, but the four out of the five allegations now emerge:

To which Oates responded:

The obvious question arises: without putting the specific allegations to Clegg, how could Oates have issued this denial to the Telegraph? Yesterday Clegg insisted only “indirect and non-specific concerns” had been raised with his office, back in 2008. This correspondence proves detailed allegations were presented to a senior aide, and judging by the response evidently him, in 2010. That is not what Clegg told us yesterday…