David Blunkett says Lib Dems acting like 'every harlot in history'

Former home secretary David Blunkett has prophesised the destruction of both Labour and the Liberal Democrats, who he described as acting like "every harlot in history", should they form a coalition government.
The Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough MP warned against a Lib-Lab pact on Tuesday after the two parties began formal talks on a potential governing alliance.
Mr Blunkett told the Today programme such a union would be regarded as a "coalition of the defeated" by the electorate and lead to annihilation of both parties at the next election.
"I don't like what is taking place at all," Mr Blunkett said.
"I don't believe it will bring stability, I believe it will lead to a lack of legitimacy, and I think the British people will feel that we have not heard what they said to us, which, in the tragedy of 91 of my colleagues losing their seats, was that we didn't have their full confidence.
"If we continue not listening then we will lose very badly at any subsequent general election.
"That would be even worse than a situation where we have a minority government in which we check what they do, whilst acting responsibly in the interests of the nation.
"Can you trust the Liberal Democrats? They are behaving like every harlot in history."
Mr Blunkett added: "A coalition of the defeated cobbled together, uncertain whether it can carry anything night by night, people, as they did when I first came to Parliament, dying on average about once every three months because of the nature of the sittings, and a then general election on the back of that - you don't have to be involved in politics to see what that would do to the Labour party and its vote."
One of Mr Blunkett's predecessors as home secretary John Reid, who stood down as an MP before last week's election, was equally gloomy on the prospects of a Lib-Lab pact.
Mr Reid predicted a coalition government would lead to the "mutually assured destruction" of both parties.