Clever politics. Lib Dem MPs who aren’t ministers should do the same.

Particularly Charles Kennedy, who might well be able to claim a second bite at the leadership cherry before too much longer (although I’m sure Simon Hughes is also paying close attention, as he does to anything which looks likely to be of benefit to Simon Hughes).

On the other hand, I’m watching Lynne Featherstone; I think she’s probably the most likely of the cabinet Lib Dems to quit on a point of principle, and at that point she becomes a very strong candidate for the social wing to rally around.

This is just being a “good constituency MP,” my local Tory MP has been winning applause for opposing any cuts in his back yard, while supporting cuts everywhere else for years.

I expect local government Tories will do the same. Not just for tactical reasons, but also because councillors tend to see the good that local government does directly, which tends to make them more supportive of local government funding. My experience of Local Government Conservatives has often indicated that they are socially, rather than economically right-of-centre. Boris is essentially just the most powerful local government politician in all the land.

Your headline – indeed the whole story really – assumes that Cameron is intending to cut front line policing and Crossrail.

But he isn’t.

As long ago as June 16th Phillip Hammond confirmed that the government is committed to the full £16 bn for Crossrail.

On policing, Cameron has said that he cannot guarantee there will be no cuts to the front line, but the intention is to make the necessary savings elsewhere if at all possible. Boris & co will be setting the budget for the Met, and having cannily frozen the precept for 2010/11, should have some headroom later.