Ferchi

It was also a year to forget for Nick Clegg. Things reached their nadir in early May, when a YouGov poll found Lib Dem support had sunk so low it now consisted of a single kelp farmer from St Kilda. Clegg's response, "All I can do is stick to my principles, and do what I believe is right for my country and my party", was undermined when it emerged he had begun merger talks with Nigel Farage. Asked about the potential alliance, a Ukip spokesman responded: "If they ditch the poofters, the Kraut lovers and the new-age fruitcakes we can talk." A Lib Dem spokesman described the talks as "constructive and promising."