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Waiting on the platform in Cardiff Central, a Labour man who was trying to keep up with events.

Things not going quite so smoothly in the talks between the Conservatives and Lib Dems, said I.

His eyes lit up: what have you heard?

By the time we got to Bristol, the train had broken down but things in Westminster were on the move.

It turns out Mr Clegg had been having talks with Labour as well and wanted more and more official talks. Really? His hope, that the Labour government wasn't, yet, dead in the water. His concern, that the Lib Dems would be equally difficult to pin down if talks with Labour took off. But here was a chance to govern for a while longer at least, to prevent the sorts of cuts the Tories would bring in and to gain some respect from the electorate who would see that when the going got truly tough, Labour stepped up to the plate. As Peter Hain might have put it, they didn't shirk their "duty".

Wouldn't Gordon Brown have to step aside for that to happen? He was too canny to answer that one outright.

By the time the train pulled into London Paddington, the Prime Minister had answered it for him.

College Green has been full this evening of Mr Brown's colleagues telling the world's media that what he did today was wise, dignified and right. Of that they had no doubt. Whether striking a deal with the Liberal Democrats was the right thing to do - a bargain that would have to be bolstered with further deals starting with the SNP and with Plaid - "with Alex Salmond, Uncle Tom Cobley and all" as one put it - they really, really weren't so sure. It wouldn't last. It was unedifying. It would mean England alone bearing the brunt of the cuts.

Others disagreed, used the word "viable" and "national interest" a lot. This was not just a scramble to hold on to power. It was a case of responding to what a hung parliament throws at you and doing what is best for the economic future of the UK.

"How long did it take you in Wales?" asked one seasoned commentator. 55 days or so I said. His face eyebrows shot up, the rest of his face fell. It's not often that we political commentators in Wales get to glow! Ah yes, been there, done that.

I've not heard the words "unpalatable" or "inedible" used yet but if I listen hard tomorrow, it might just be a matter of time.

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