Noises off

For Mr Clegg, it is simply another sign of how very different life is in Government and for his party this is preferable to simply attacking the choices made by others. That's why the Liberal Democrats had little choice but to seize the chance to join a coalition, which also meant Britain was spared the damaging uncertainty of a minority Conservative administration.

Not all of the Lib Dems' decisions since then have been correct, such as taking the axe to regional development agencies, which has cost hundreds of jobs in Yorkshire and imperilled thousands more.

The furore this generated, however, has clearly struck Mr Clegg and it must be one of the reasons he announced plans to allow councils to borrow hundreds of millions of pounds to fund major regeneration schemes. If this money is sourced responsibly, it could transform areas like the Aire Valley and the Don Valley, which missed out on the economic boom seen in city centres under Labour. It would also help to counter the perception that the North of England is bearing the brunt of the austerity measures.

Having seen his support for Tory cuts characterised as "selling out", Mr Clegg's speech yesterday should mark the start of a re-engagement with his own party. If he follows this through, it could help him to turn his own supporters' complaints into cheers once again.