Morning Report – March 18th

Today’s news will obviously be dominated by the decision by the UN security council to back the implementation of a no-fly zone over Libya. The Guardian say that Gaddafi has forced Obama’s hand after weeks of pondering, but the FT suggests that this action may have come too late. You can read the text of the UN security council resolution here.

After Ed Miliband urged Nick Clegg to lie low in the coming weeks if he wanted the AV referendum to pass, the DPM was set to ignore this and speak of his “passion” for AV today in Manchester. That might have presented an open goal to his opponents though – he once called it a “miserable little compromise”. However he has now cancelled his speech and returned to London for important meeting’s on the situation in Libya. The Yes to AV campaign may well be quietly relieved.

Some news that won’t get much coverage today – but which is crucial to many people up and down the country – is Vince Cable’s decision to scrap flexible working regulations for parents, and exempt small businesses from all new regulations. Only a few months ago Cable was talking of waging war on Rupert Murdoch (in private at least) and seemed to be a Lib Dem minister who had potential to rebel. Now he’s talking about “cutting red tape” and just sounds like the rest of his Tory cabinet colleagues.

And finally there’s an interview in the Independent this morning that all Labour supporters should read. Alistair Darling explains just how close the country came to the brink – and shows how Osborne could send us back there again.