And my soundings this morning suggest there is no prospect of the Conservatives corralling enough votes from minority parties to outvote the combined forces of Labour and the Lib Dems.

BBC: Reading the signs

The argument about City regulations was about the danger of a newly united eurozone being able to outvote the UK - using qualified majority voting or QMV - under new rules which are still due to come in 2014.

BBC: Europe - the coalition shakes

Though dissident dons can easily outvote the university bosses in a meeting of Congregation, in a postal vote among all its members the likely outcome is the other way round, especially if Mr Hood tweaks his changes to make them seem a choice between stagnation and revival.

ECONOMIST: Britain's oldest university wrestles with modernisation