Clegg met with David “The Jews” Ward last night, telling him he has to go and work with LibDem Friends of Israel to “achieve a better understanding” of the situation. With other things on their mind they are kicking it into the long grass, but his punishment, though slight, is quite amusing…

Given the very obvious lack of female LibDem MPs coming forward to discuss Lord Rennard on the airwaves, is it really wise for one of them to joke about avoiding the cameras?

Sarah Teather has been located at last: she’s on the way to Eastleigh:

You might not want to do media, Sarah, but Guido suspects others in your party would like you to take the bold step and speak up. What did you know of Lord Rennard’s ways and when? As a female candidate selected to fight a winnable by-election masterminded by the man himself, she would be able to shed some light on the situation. Why so quiet?

“The issues of his inappropriate behaviour were in the background“. Once more, Clegg’s Sunday statement does not ring true…

"I can only tell you the truth as I recollect it now" is positively Nixonian #callclegg—
Guido Fawkes (@GuidoFawkes) February 27, 2013

'I can only tell you the truth as I can recollect it now,' Nick Clegg protests. This is not going well #callclegg—
James Chapman (Mail) (@jameschappers) February 27, 2013

Nick Ferrari getting very frustrated with Nick Clegg's Rennard answers on @lbc973 #CallClegg—
Matt Chorley (@MattChorley) February 27, 2013

So Clegg is calling Sandra Gidley a liar now… Interesting manoeuvre. Wonder how confident he is in the loyalty of Oates, Alexander etc…—
Max Wind-Cowie (@MaxWindCowie) February 27, 2013

Clegg says for first time Lord Rennard may have stood down for reasons other than his health:"Of course these things were in the background"—
Sophy Ridge (@SophyRidgeSky) February 27, 2013

Clegg says 'issues' of Rennard's 'inappropriate behaviour' were a factor in his departure. Clegg not even pretending he might be innocent!—
Tim Shipman (Mail) (@ShippersUnbound) February 27, 2013

Great @cathynewman is a caller to #CallClegg! – truly a proper self appointed detective #Rennard—
Benedict Brogan (@benedictbrogan) February 27, 2013

"My head is spinning at the number of media outlets involved now" yes Nick. Its called a scandal. #CallClegg—
Harry Cole (@MrHarryCole) February 27, 2013

Why were "the issues of innappropriate behaviour kept in the background" when Rennard stood down on health grounds? #Cleggcall—
esmewren (@esmesky) February 27, 2013

In his statement on Sunday Clegg insisted: “he subsequently resigned as Chief Executive on health grounds”. Today he admits the claims against Rennard were “in the background” when he quit. His story is unravelling…

Lord Rennard has come out fighting, albeit via a ‘friend’:

Lord Rennard refutes these allegations. He will co-operate with any properly constituted inquiry.

He has been notified of an internal investigatory panel within the Party. The matter must now be regarded as sub judice pending its proceedings and no further statement will be issued in the interim.

He expects others to respect the sub judice principle, and he notes that under the party rules concerned it is for any case made against him to be proved by evidence to the requisite standard. He denies impropriety.

He would reiterate that in 27 years of working for the Liberal Democrats he received no complaint or allegation about his behaviour.

Nor is he aware of any personal complaints being made in the three and a half years since he stood down as chief executive until last week.

 So he’s denying Danny had a word?

Via ITV.

A LibDem activist alleges that nine women have made claims against Lord Rennard, dating back to 2001. She says she personally told Jo Swinson, Norman Lamb and Ros Scott about the time Rennard propositioned her, and that Clegg “didn’t know how to deal with it and then didn’t deal with it well”.

“At one point someone referred to us as ‘Rennard’s red hot babes’”. On the emails between the Telegraph and Jonny Oates: “I am unsure as to how Nick never heard of that”. She’s not the only one…

You can always rely on Polly Toynbee to spectacularly miss the point:

“Their distrust may be justified here, as this byelection follows a familiarly vicious pattern, the air thick with dirty tricks. Where did the Lord Rennard sleaze reprise from 2009 suddenly come from, and why now in the final runup to election day? Blasted across every front page, Nick Clegg’s fumbling response hasn’t helped, but it doesn’t take an expert political nose to suspect this stinks.”

She then goes on to play down the claims against Rennard as “less than criminal” – despite the police being called in – and compares the story to “Tory tricks directed at UKIP”. Perhaps she should read what Cathy Newman has to say on why she ran the story now. This is about the women who are victims of sexual harassment being able to hold a sex pest to account, and the lies being told by people who tried to stop their story coming out:

@christomill @cathynewman Though when people reduce the allegations to a 'plot', they demonstrate lack of concern for the underlying issue.—
Alison Smith (@AliFionaSmith) February 25, 2013

Polly’s diversion tactics are one in the eye for the sisterhood.

As of 1pm this afternoon LBC sources have confirmed to Guido that tomorrow morning’s Call Clegg is on. It was brought forward a day due to Thursday’s by-election, and there is no word of him pulling out over at LBC towers.

Popcorn for breakfast…

Despite what LibDems might want us to believe, the most important part of the Rennard scandal is not Nick Clegg or Eastleigh, but the women who have made the allegations against the sex pest peer. The response of the party’s female MPs has been non-existent. What Jo Swinson knew and when is at the heart of this story, she was in the chamber yeaterday but said nothing. Where is Lynne Featherstone? Jenny Wilnot might have just had a baby but why has careerist Sarah Teather been so quiet? Their silence speaks volumes…