FibDems

So much for a united party with momentum. It would appear from today's Telegraph that they are at it like ferrets in sack (just as we said) as Tavish goes maverick with the campaign:

Nicol had better watch his back

By Alan Cochrane
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 18/04/2007

Election notebook

Scotland's least exciting politician, aka Nicol Stephen, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, would be well advised to watch his back.

Word reaches me that his thus-far trusted friend and colleague, Tavish Scott, is mounting a bit of a freelance operation during this campaign. Mr Scott, who stood aside in Mr Stephen's favour during last year's election for the Lib Dem leadership, was widely praised last week when he almost single-handedly rescued his party's manifesto launch.

It was Mr Scott who had to fill in the many and varied holes in the Lib Dem programme, after Mr Stephen got fed up answering - or rather not answering - difficult questions about his party's possible coalition deal with the SNP.

This has obviously gone to the Transport Minister's head as he has taken to putting his own "spin" on the campaign so far by briefing selected hacks about his post election plans.

I have absolutely no doubt that nothing untoward is going on but, still, if I was Mr Stephen, I'd ask for a transcript of yesterday's meeting between Mr Scott and his three scribbling pals.

But then Trash-it does have a record of mucking things up. That he's made the Fibs look obsessed with constitutional matters shouldn't be a surprise.