Prime Minister's questions

A difficult day for the Lib Dem benches, as it was always going to be.

Even so, it would not have taken a political genius to grasp that it was not a bright idea to make too much of the number of schools without heads. Taxi for Sir Menzies.

Simon Hughes also ran into trouble, but all credit to both of them for flying the Lib Dem flag.

And Mark Oaten? Nick Robinson's blog on the BBC site kindly gives the answer:

Where oh where, asked Tony Blair at today's Prime Minister's Questions, was the third contender for the Lib Dem leadership, after both Ming Campbell and Simon Hughes had made appearances. The answer was that he - Mark Oaten - was sitting next to me on the set of BBC Two's The Daily Politics, where more voters could see him!

The Captain's compliments to Mr Oaten, and would he kindly come to the bridge at once?