Has Nick Clegg found a winning formula?

For the first time since he became Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg found his voice this week with his attack on Gordon Brown over the "surveillance society" at Prime Minister's Questions.

I have taken this as the subject for my weekly column in today's Newcastle Journal, arguing that for all the Prime Minister's exalted talk of extending liberty last autumn, he will struggle to lay hold of this issue so long as ID cards remain on the agenda.

"Another part of the problem is the public perception of the Prime Minister himself. Rightly or wrongly, people see him less as the man who will let a thousand flowers bloom, and more as the man sat in a darkened room monitoring our every move on a set of CCTV monitors.

It may be unfair, but the control freakery that has been associated with the New Labour project from its earliest days does sit easily with a commitment to defending individual freedoms."

Stop Bliar

Yes, we thought we were done with him but now it seems the Great Charlatan is threatening to step right back into all our lives again. Sign the petition.

Hat-tip: Bloggerheads.

QT review

Actually, for once Question Time wasn't the best thing on telly last night - that was Ashes to Ashes, the follow-up to Life on Mars with Keeley Hawes' Alix Drake replacing John Simm's Sam Tyler in the role of present-day cop who travels back in time to an era where the policing may be less enlightened but the music is just ace. Doubtless Paul Burgin will have a more in-depth review on his blog by tomorrow morning.

So what of QT? Well, new Culture Secretary Andy Burnham had the job of keeping the government's end up and he was deeply unimpressive. He particularly struggled when asked to defend Caroline Flint's bonkers idea to chuck the unemployed out of their council homes - a suggestion which seemed to have little support in the Liverpool audience - and also when put on the spot about Labour's potty plan to expel the four MPs who are demanding a referendum on the EU Treaty. Burnham does at least seem to have a bit of passion about him, as well as an element of Northern grit, but the overall impression is of an intellectual lightweight. I was left wondering what on earth Telegraph pol ed Andy Porter sees in him.

By contrast, Tory Chris Grayling did nothing to offset the view that he is one of his party's rising stars, helpfully pointing out that Ms Flint's housing proposal would actually be illegal in most cases in that local authorities have a duty to house children.

Liberal Democrat Julia Goldsworthy also impressed, answering each question with calm authority and common sense. She has an extremely useful personality for a politician - high intellect and natural authority combined with accessibility and warmth. I am convinced that barring accidents she will lead her party one day.

Businessman Duncan Bannatyne took a while to get into his stride. At the beginning he was stumbling over his words so much I wondered if he was pissed, but relaxed a bit after some playful banter with Dimbleby over his past donations to the Labour Party. He came over as an instinctive socialist, especially on the council housing issue, but took issue with his party over the EU referendum, posing the question whether they would chuck him out as well.

The real star, though, was Shami Chakrabarti who once again showed why she is Britain's favourite campaigner. Seemingly despairing of Labour over the "surveillance state" issue, she saved her best flourish till last, declaring that the job of EU president was probably "not grand enough" for Tony Blair. I think it was probably her diplomatic way of saying that she wishes the former Prime Minister would simply f-f-f-ade away.

Apparently Caroline Flint herself is on next week...

Will you stay up for Question Time?

Viewing figures for Question Time should be up tonight - not only is libertarian pin-up Shami Chakrabarti on the panel, she is joined Julia Goldsworthy, choice of many Lib Dem-leaning males for the party leadership last year.

Also appearing are Andy Burnham, tipped by the Political Editor of the Daily Telegraph, no less, as the next Labour leader, Tory rottweiler Chris Grayling, who has been tipped by some (including me) as a potential next Tory leader, and entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne, who does not need to be tipped as any sort of leader as he is already worth £150m quid.

As last week, I'll be reviewing how they got on later.