While the antics of the Long Haired Lout dominated the headlines, there was something far more interesting going on yesterday at the first day of the new LegCo in Hong Kong. During the election of chairs of various committees, pro-democracy lawmaker Emily Lau won chair of the key Finance Committee in a surprise victory. How did this come about when the democrats are supposedly a minority? Because suddenly the Breakfast Group, a loose alliance of 6 legislators, have realised they now hold the balance of power. While Mr. Huff and Puff will have his fans, the main game has certainly changed and will pass him and his slogans by. Even pro-Beijing business business is getting in on the act: the SCMP reports the HK Chamber of Commerce wants an explicit timetable to full democracy and wants the Government to acknowledge that 2012 is the target date for universal suffrage.

Could it be that despite Beijing's best efforts Hong Kong could actually have a LegCo with a majority of democrats after all?