Will his party still be so supportive if main benefit of his party's agreement to serve and support the coalition government turns out to be a dead duck?

BBC: Vote 2011: Lib Dem gloom in Clegg's Sheffield powerbase

But the momentum of WiMax means 802.20 could be a dead duck, says Zvi Slonimsky of Alvarion, the leading maker of fixed-wireless gear and a strong backer of WiMax.

ECONOMIST: Wireless telecoms

" Another said: "This is a dead duck.

BBC: Lib Dems 'may ditch' Communications Data Bill

In short, the empire now proclaimed in America's name is at best a dull duck, at worst a dead duck, unless it is to be a big strong drake that intends to throw its weight around for quite a while.

ECONOMIST: America and empire

And Tory backbencher Jesse Norman said the government had backed down because of the scale of the likely rebellion on the Conservative benches and the proposals were now a "dead duck".

BBC: UK Politics