Tuesday 23 December 2008

Nick Clegg - your verdict

It's been a year since Nick Clegg took over as Lib Dem leader. How do you think he's been doing? Is he going to be remembered as the man whose answer to every question was "about 30"? Or has he made his mark in other ways?

19 comments:

Remember Remember said...

I don't really care.
NO party politicians are worth voting for because they hold their party above the people (as proven beyond all doubt by their parliamentary voting records)

AloneMan said...

Put it this way...he's doing better than Gordon Brown.

Kerry said...

And 4% of the great British public agree with you!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2008/nov/24/polls-brown-darling

Unknown said...

Well he is a poor David Cameron impersonator.

How many seats will he lose at the next election - 'around 30'

Kerry said...

And let me guess... one of them will be Bristol West?

Old Holborn said...

Vince Cable has you lot on the run though.

New Labour, Blue Labour, Yellow Labour.

All the same.

Useless.

DaveA said...

Can't say too much but someone I know has an inside track on the Liberals, and looks upon him as being a nice guy but ineffective. He also said the same about Menzies Campbell, except you can add principled to nice guy.

It is a shame you have to be a charismatic, ruthless, b'stard to climb the slippery pole in politics or get your poll ratings up.

Saying that private enterprise is not always a shinning beacon in right or wrong either.

As your dyed in the wool Tory Cameron is a charismatic, ruthless b'stard too. However saying that with him it is like looking through clear glass. Bring me back some clear blue water to vote for.

Kerry said...

I can run faster than Vince!

LDN said...

'Clegg is just a poor man's version of Cameron, who is just a poor man's version of Blair'

Can't remember where I heard that but it seems to hit the nail on the head.

Kerry said...

Or a rich man's version, in Cameron's case!

Kerry said...

And yes, I know, TB's making rather a lot of dosh these days. But he's got some way to go to catch up.

force12 said...

A good start for all parties would be to take away the whips and allow an MP to vote both with their conscience and on behalf of the wishes of their constituents.

LDN said...

But at least TB is making cash after a succesful career in politics, rather than making a career in politics with a fortune he did nothing to earn

Kerry said...

I kind of subscribe to the theory that my constituents elected a Labour MP so might quite like it if that MP supported Labour policies.

force12 said...

How many of your constituents supported the war in Iraq back when it all kicked off or continue to support the Afghanistan 'adventure'? Did you ask them or just vote regardless?

How many support the continual invasion of civil liberties? The endless H&S legislation, the unfunded (and ultimately fruitless) economic boom and the raiding of the empty money box afterwards?

Do you really work for your constituents or Westminster?

force12 said...

Meant to add to previous post ...

How many of your constituents, given a choice, would rather the billions spent in Iraq were instead spent on hospitals, OAPs and schools. Why should the old be 'grateful' for a few hundred quid of winter fuel allowance when the disaster that is Iraq costs billions every year. Where is the justice in this.? Millions marched against the war, wars aren't exactly (New) Labour territory.

Do you talk to your constituents about these things?

Maybe if you weren't whipped into submission you may have had some backbone. I was interested in politics at school and university and was tempted to 'get in to it'. As I get older however the realism of a knackered democracy becomes ever clearer.

Kerry said...

I talk to my constituents about all sorts of things. And I wasn't in Parliament when MPS voted on the war in Iraq. Now where's my curry?

dreamingspire said...

Clegg's speech to Demos (in December) was excellent, so I wonder who wrote it for him. He's a very presentable lad... Had the election run for another week, I heard that Huhne would have overtaken him. (And Ros Scott is in charge from today.) But, in a different corner, I have been surprised at how many women in particular simply recoil from Brown when they see or hear him on TV and radio.
Bristol West is changing, both in boundary and demography. Fewer students in the rented properties, replaced by a variety of other people. Redevelopment of some former council estates bringing different people in. And Stephen is getting to grips with being a constituency MP.

Kerry said...

I'm intrigued... how many women have you personally seen 'recoil from Gordon Brown'? My mum likes him.

"Bristol West is changing, both in boundary and demography..... And Stephen is getting to grips with being a constituency MP."

I think most voters would have expected us to have 'got to grips' with being constituency MPs at some point in 2005.