The ten people involved in trying to form a Government may well be talking their heads off at the moment, but outside the meeting room they continue to say nothing. While it’s faintly reassuring that it isn’t just The Slog being frozen out, it does partly explain why I’ve posted very little on this in the last 24 hours. However, there have been a couple of developments.

First, Nick Robinson still has a degree of privileged access to gossip, and he is sure (to the point where he’s happy to talk about it live on BBCNews) that there have been one perhaps two meetings in secret between the LibDems and Labour. The Labour negotiating team is Ed Balls, Ed Miliband, Peter Mandelson and Lord Adonis. That team is pretty unsurprising….with the exception of the Miliband being Ed not David.

Second, I have managed to get one source hint at something about the current Tory/LibDem sticking points – although I would stress that this informant isn’t a political one.

“The voting reform and the deficit cuts present difficulties” this person said, “but the considerations aren’t two-dimensional. Both sides are up for a formal coalition, but the LibDems are wary of Cabinet Responsibility until they get reform and deficit measures they feel will more likely make them popular, and not just attract angry blame”.

This isn’t exactly unexpected either – but this hint intrigued me:

“Put it like this – their own grassroots may prefer to be with Labour….but the (Lib/Dem) Parliamentary Party is finding it hard to see how they could achieve as much credibility with them. The LibDems do seem to want this to work”.

Adam Boulton on Sky this morning said he’d been told the two sides are “inching forward on the two big issues”. I was in no doubt which two he was talking about – but putting this much effort into working with a near-immovable Tory team (along with the hint above) suggests something quite strongly to me.

This is that even if the Tory talks break down, the LibDems will still steer well clear of a deal with Labour – and remain ‘listening to’ a minority Cameron Government.

And in many ways, that outcome would be the safest for all concerned.

Odds are still just on the side of a Coalition emerging at some stage tonight or (more likely now) tomorrow. But I won’t be taking any bets at all on the Cleggies going with Labour if it doesn’t turn out that way.