Lord Judd, also a Labour peer, branded the proposals "ill-considered" and "insensitive", telling peers that people were "in a muddle" about who is representing them at local council level.

BBC: Motion of regret

We'll have to muddle through, with just about everybody unhappy with either the result or how it was achieved.

FORBES: Computing Desire

Our main doubts about Mr Obama have to do with the damage a muddle-headed Democratic Congress might try to do to the economy.

ECONOMIST: The presidential election