But IIRC, YouGov polls have shown that a majority of the electorate actually want the 42-day limit. So it seems a dicy issue for him to fight on, if that's really what he is doing (and not just making a leadership bid). Furthermore, constituencies are notoriously averse to being called out to vote for what may seem to them, if those polls are true, insufficient reason. Furtherfurthermore, if as I heard rumoured, the LibDems nationally are telling their local party not to stand against him, they are risking an enormous raspberry from said locals (and again, possibly, from the electorate, who tend to get iffy about team orders).

I doubt Cameron wanted this. Why, in any case, do it now - since we all know it's liable to be stopped by the Lords and if not by them, by Europe?