But if Clegg can't point to
a victory on constitutional reform by June, the chance for his party will be gone for considerably longer than that - and his backbenchers will only grow more and more restless.
He then gave a passionate
victory speech that sketched out a stronger global role for France and promised to waste no time making the national economy a much more business - friendlyplace, with controversial labour - market, pension, education and
constitutional reforms, not to mention tougher measures
on crime and immigration.