Election quotes

• In the Guardian on Esther Rantzen; When she spoke of her vision for Luton she liked to drop a few famous names into her comments. "Imagine a town centre with a Jamie Oliver restaurant," she told me. "Imagine Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is a friend, bringing his latest musical to Luton! Imagine the Anton Du Beke dance studio! I have spoken to Anton and he is very keen to do it." (JJ - she didn't win)
  
  
• Charles Kennedy reveals why he did vote for the coalition; "It is hardly surprising that, for some of us at least, our political compass currently feels confused. And that really encapsulates the reasons why I felt personally unable to vote for this outcome when it was presented to Liberal Democrat parliamentarians."
  
  
• Norfolk blogger attended a Lib Dem conflab on the coalition, he was not best pleased; "I was appalled at the way some in our party will resort to personal attacks, blatant lies and selective use of quotes in order to justify their side of the argument, and all those people were on the "We love the coalition" side of the debate." (JJ - who'd have thought?)
  
  
• Sticking with the Lib Dems I was intrigued to read this speech by Nick Clegg made in 2008; "So I want to make something very clear today.Will I ever join a Conservative government? No. Will I ever join a Labour government? No. I will never allow the Liberal Democrats to be a mere annex to another party's agenda."
  
  
• Former Labour Education Minister Kim Howells extends his warmest congratulations to the new government; "There's visceral loathing between the parties in constituencies, no question about it, you know - and the Lib Dems especially. I tell you why it's been rejected by most Labour MPs. Because they know that they're [the Lib Dems] a bunch of opportunistic toe-rags, who'll say anything to anybody in order to get power. And they've done it this time, they've got power. Good luck to them."