Decapitation: Nick Clegg set for the chop
Did you stay up for Clegg? That could be what people are asking on May 8th, after two new polls found that the Lib Dem leader and his deputy are set for the chop in the general election.
A new poll of his Sheffield constituency found the Lib Dem leader is set to lose his seat to Labour, in what would be a historic moment for the party.
The Survation poll commissioned by Unite union found the Lib Dems are on just 23% behind Labour on 33% in the seat, when voters were asked about their constituency vote.
If borne out it would be the first time a leader of the three main political parties has lost their seat in a general election since Labour's Arthur Henderson in 1931.
The findings if accurate, suggest Clegg's position has significantly weakened in recent months.
When Lord Ashcroft polled the seat in November last year, he found the Lib Dem leader three points ahead behind Labour.
Reports late last year suggested that Labour are now pouring large resources into the seat in the hope of toppling him.
A separate poll conducted by Lord Ashcroft found the Lib Dem's economic spokesperson Danny Alexander is also set to lose his previously safe Inverness seat in a 29-point landslide to the SNP.
If such a swing is repeated across Scotland, the Lib Dems will lose all but one of their 11 seats across the country.
Clegg today dismissed the poll findings as "bilge".
"This poll is such utter, utter bilge," he told LBC.
"Surpise, surprise, the trade union paymasters of the Labour party come out with a poll which shows the Labour party ahead."
However he admitted that being in coaltion had damaged his standing with constituents.
"There are some people who say 'I hate the Tories so much. I'll never forgive you for going into coalition.' Of course I'm not a Tory. Far from it."
The polls come as both men prepare to set out their economic agenda for the next parliament. Both Clegg and Alexander will today outline detailed plans for £16 billion of cuts to public spending and £8 billion of tax increases if they form part of the next government.
However, if this week's polls are accurate then neither man will ever have a chance to implement them.
