Shark bait

A long drop in front of the speakers' seats at this week's Vote for Science election meeting run by Save British Science became the focus of political debate when Adam Ingram, shadow science minister, expressed concern that he might fall down it while speaking.

Soon the gap between the raised platform and the desk was being alluded to as a river filled with political piranhas and sharks, with science minister Ian Taylor and Mr Ingram poking fun at the European backbiting in each others' parties. "In the Tory party, the piranhas are toothless," joked Mr Taylor. But last laugh went to Lord Ezra, the Liberal Democrats' economics spokes- man in the Lords, who had few words to say on the subject - in his party there were no sharks.