When Gordon Brown says the Liberal party its not a slip of the tongue ...

When Gordon Brown says the Liberal party its not a slip of the tongue - more a Freudian slip. The truth of the matter may be that Gordon Brown is still smarting about the SDP betrayal.

But he may be looking to split the Lib Dems ( not offer them their day dream of a coalition to run England with Scottish and Welsh MPs ).

Apparently he's been in talks with David Owen. The Telegraph mentions the possibility of David Owen rejoining Labour. That would open the way for a wider defection. Baroness Williams is already in the big tent - and posthumous claim can be made to Roy Jenkins.

What we do know is that Gordon Brown doesn't make these sort of slips without a reason. He's repeated the description of the Lib Dems as the Liberals on a number of occasions. Nobody else does this.

If I was a Lib Dem activist I would be very worried. Which other ex SDP people is Gordon Brown quietly seducing ?