Clegg sits on the fence again

Mr Clegg will only have himself to blame if his party is squeezed out by Labour and Conservatives. Perceived bias towards the two main parties will not be a justifiable excuse; the Lib Dems will have more than their fare share of the political limelight.

In many respects, the Sheffield Hallam MP is right when he says that he is "not the kingmaker". It is, of course, up to the voters to determine, probably on May 6, who governs Britain.

This is why Mr Clegg chose, in his party's pre-election rally, to put so much emphasis on Lib Dem priorities – open government, fairer taxes, a green economy and the future of children. He wants to debate policies, and deflect attention away from the various post-election scenarios.

Yet, in many respects, voters have a right to expect far greater clarity from the Liberal Democrats on who they would support in a coalition government rather than "holding answers" about the party with the greatest number of seats, or votes. This is even more pertinent given Mr Clegg's call for honesty and transparency in politics.

However, at present, the Lib Dems appear intent on having the best of both worlds. In one interview, Mr Clegg is keen to espouse his admiration for Margaret Thatcher. Yet, in the next interview, he finds himself at odds with the Conservative Party over the speed at which George Osborne intends to cut spending if he becomes Chancellor.

What this threatens to do is undermine the considerable progress that Mr Clegg, and his economic spokesman, Vince Cable, have made in transforming the Lib Dems – and giving the impression, perhaps wrongly, that they're still a party of opportunists rather than a serious, and credible, political force.