Suggestions of nausea, notwithstanding, I was reminded of its comic pretensions when it was announced that Nick Clegg's Bill on law reforms would be permitted "one final push."
It doesn't need any degree of political fortune telling to see what was ineviable defeat from the outset for Clegg. MPs have a firm view on Lords reform and no end of pleading and tinkering will overcome either sides' points of principle. For the Lib Dems and some senior Labour figures like Peter Hain it is a simple question of democratic legitimacy. For the right wing Tories led by Jesse Norman it is about the primacy of the Commons. The huge divide between them is quite unbridgable.
But some of Clegg's main arguments were a bit sixth form anyway. He suggested there did not need to be a referendum because all three main parties had pledged for HoL reform. Eh? That doesn't mean the electorate necessarily agree, in fact if you couldn't vote against it then it makes the case for a referndum more compelling not less.
Besides the ponts of principle there is plenty of residual resentment among the Tories about these grand constitutional plans and it must give them immense satisfaction to see Clegg outmanoevured and his Bill in ashes. After the lost referendum on electoral reform Clegg has yet to score a Parliamentary win to restore his relevance. By the election it may be reasonable to ask simply "What is the point of Nick Clegg?"
* Thorpe won 16 seats.
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