With the party of liberal democracy plunging in the polls (see below) - it is good that the Lib Dem leader opened up a new front on the policy debate.

Ming's speech to IPPR on welfare reform comes at a useful time.

The BBC picked up on the main nuggets that was trailed before hand in a piece that has been updated slightly since he made the speech:

"People should be given education and a chance to help themselves, but instead millions were being trapped into living on benefits, said Sir Menzies.

He said lone parents should return to work when their youngest child is 12 - not 16 as currently.

And he said he wanted to end the "bias" against couples in the tax system."

news.bbc.co.uk 19th December

What a shame therefore that there has been so little pick-up of the story in any of today's papers.

Few deny that it is hard for a third party leader to get coverage in the press - particularly when all they want to write about is a resurgent Conservative party.

Complaining about the media does us little good however. 

The political situation we're in demands an ever bolder, ever clearer message in order to capture the press' attention.

Also in today's news

• Those polls in full in The Guardian - Conservatives 40% (+3) Labour 32% (no change) Lib Dems 18% (-4)
  
• The Economist highlights some fascinating repercussions new insights in neurology are having on free will and liberalism itself.
  
• "Ipswich proves how badly we need Tory libertarians" according to Simon Jenkins in The Guardian today in his take on the drug and prostitution law reform debate.