Going, Going, Gone.....

And it wasn't even fun while it lasted.  More pictures here.

Exciting Times

For the second time this week Nick Clegg has lost his radio mic feed in the middle of a live broadcast. On Sunday, a few minutes into a double act on the economy with David Laws (above), people suddenly started scurrying around in front of the podium with hand-held mics, and all the photographers were ushered to the back of the room to stop the barrage of shutter clicks drowning out the resulting rather low-grade audio. When this work-around proved inadequate, the Lib-Dem leader was taken into a back room to have his transmitter adjusted. Apparently he was apoplectic, but managed to re-emerge and continue with gritted teeth well-hidden.

And earlier today The World at One (BBC Radio 4) clearly found a microphone malfunction during the Lib-Dem manifesto launch more interesting than any other aspect of the event, and played its listeners a generous stretch of crackle and dropped syllables.

Is this a deliberate Lib-Dem strategy aimed at livening up what many observers regard as an (until now) extremely dull campaign - or could it be sabotage?  We must be told.  More pictures here.