The Prime Minister feels the pressure:

“I have to say that after the events I have been facing over the last few days, assassination would be a welcome release.”

Gyles Brandreth writes in his memoirs:

“Sunday, May 10, 1998

Early start: appearing on Breakfast With Frost, to be broadcast from 11 Downing Street. The Chancellor [Gordon Brown] is grouchily amiable, but so earnest — and still biting his fingernails to the quick.

After the show, he took us upstairs to his flat. He lives above No 10, while Blair and family are in the No 11 duplex, which is bigger and more like a proper house.

I was intrigued that, when he took us into his bedroom, the Chancellor rather ostentatiously opened the built-in wardrobes, as if he wanted us to see the women’s frocks that were hanging in there.

They looked quite large, but I don’t think they belong to Gordon. I assume they belong to his girlfriend [Sarah Macaulay, who he later married].

I presume he was keen for us to know that he has one — and that she’s not a ‘beard’. I don’t think he does anything without calculation.”

Alex Salmond on Cameron, Clegg and Ed’s visit to Scotland today:

“If I thought they were coming by bus I’d send the bus fare”

Alex Salmond on reneging on debt jokes:

“What are they going to do, invade?”

Peak Roger Lord:

“Douglas Carswell is Nigel’s bitch; he will perpetually be picking up the political equivalent of prison soap”

Speaking to Tory MPs last night, the PM mocked Bercow’s letter recommending Carol Mills for the Clerk job:

“What does he want me to do with this letter? Shall I just stuff it down the side of the sofa? Put it in the bin? Or shall we just forget we never received it?”