While Downing Street tries to mop up two yellow messes in the shape of Clarke and Huhne, yet more signs emerged last night that Cameron needs to watch his back and tend his own flock. Backbenchers screaming “we’re sick of the yellow b**tards” should be a pretty big wake up call for the PM. He’s in a coalition with three parties, and when is he going to realise the one to his right is not happy?

For all the talk of Lansley’s neck being on the line, he was apparently given a thunderous applause at the meeting of the 1922 committee last night. For all the mud being slung at him, Lansley has kept schtum. A minister who knows how to keep his mouth shut seems strangely refreshing. 

As for the “yellow b**tards”, the entire Downing Street grid this week has been blown off course by LibDems and wannabe ones. Though it’s not all bad news for Dave, even the Labour cheerleaders are conceding that Miliband tactically blundered in calling for Clarke’s head.  He still has a job due to the amateur leader’s hysterical reaction to a whiff of blood. There was no way Cameron would push, specifically because Ed had said he must. The Indy’s Andy McSmith went into bat for his old friend on Radio 4 this morning, saying  it was only nasty right-wingers that are happy at the demise of Clarke. Try telling that to left, right and centrists who exploded yesterday. What is remotely nasty about wanting to lock up rapists for the longest time possible?

Steady Hammond was deployed this morning to try clear up the mess Ken left yesterday, but it was Vince that was given the harder job:

 “It would be a loss if he went but he’s not talking about going… It would be a loss because he’s a very effective colleague.”

If Huhne’s not talking about going, why was Vince sent out to spin for him?