Political Scrapbook today reports that Lib Dem losers — Elwyn Watkins, two-time loser in Oldham East, and soon-to-lose leader of Sheffield Council, Paul Scriven — are to be given “ermine parachutes” in the House of Lords. Many more ermine parachutes could of course be available to Lib Dem MPs who lose their seats when the […]
Posts Tagged ‘Nick Clegg’
It’s PR in the Lords, not AV, that could save the skins of Lib Dem MPs
Apr 20th, 2011 by Jon Lansman.
LibDems censor Brokeback Britain
Mar 31st, 2011 by Jon Lansman.LibDem controlled Wrexham Council have banned the display of a picture depicting David Cameron and Nick Clegg as cowboys in an art exhibition at a council-run art gallery, claiming it is “too political to display in the run up to the Welsh Assembly elections“. The artist, Brain Jones, who has established a reputation for his politically […]
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AV, the anti-politicians choice? The opposite is true
Feb 21st, 2011 by Jon Lansman.According to Sunder Katwala of the Fabian Society, the Yes to AV campaign is stressing a ‘people against the politicians’ theme. AV is supposed to attract people who are anti-politician. Charles Kennedy said of AV on Daily Politics “it’s a politician’s issue and we’ve got to turn it into a public issue.” Too right. It […]
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Clegg could sink AV, but too many Tories support the Coalition to be sure
Feb 7th, 2011 by Jon Lansman.Ed Miliband is dead right not to share a platform with Clegg on AV — but it has nothing to do with the pros and cons of AV. Clegg is simply despised by most Labour voters and it wouldn’t do Ed any good with them, some of whom are not yet too sure about him. […]
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AV could bring long-term Tory-led coalition
Feb 2nd, 2011 by Jon Lansman.The suggestion by Andrew Grice in the Independent this morning that David Cameron might be planning to assist the Lib-Dems over electoral reform — just as he did in the Oldham East & Saddleworth by-election — changes the whole nature of the AV referendum debate. Many of those Labour MPs who have backed AV see […]
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Oldham East – about truth & honesty as well as the cuts
Jan 10th, 2011 by Michael Meacher.Having just done a day’s campaigning on the knocker in the Oldham East by-election, I was struck by two things. One is that Labour is beginning to pull away (on today’s showing I would predict a Labour victory of some 2,000-3,000), partly because its opponents are tying themselves in knots. The LibDems are hoist on […]
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Amidst lies and midwinter madness, the VAT bombshell strikes
Jan 4th, 2011 by Jon Lansman.Today, VAT rises from 17½% to 20%. Nick Clegg warned of a “Tory VAT Bombshell” back in April but then made it happen anyway. In the same month, David Cameron denied it, telling Jeremy Paxman “we have absolutely no plans to raise VAT.” As he’d said of VAT rises a year earlier: “it’s very regressive, […]
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All to play for in the AV campaign…..
Dec 11th, 2010 by Darrell Goodliffe.Depending on which opinion poll you happen to believe either the No or Yes to AV campaigns are in the lead at the moment. Although criticisms of the YouGov poll (which gave the No campaign the lead) about the nature of the question, which probably did bias Labour supporters against AV, are probably valid that […]
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Broken windows and broken pledges: tipping point for the Lib Dems
Nov 15th, 2010 by Mark Seddon.Since voters long ago stopped believing in ‘promises’ made by parties at election time, politicians now make ‘pledges’. Pledges, as opposed to promises, are made to be kept. Pledges are like principles; firm, non negotiable, inviolable contracts with the people. Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, made a number of pre-election pledges, but none quite as […]
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On Liberal coalition narratives
May 12th, 2010 by Dave Semple.So the Lib-Dems have not only put a Conservative government into office, they’ve gone into coalition. Clegg is to be Deputy Prime Minister and Cable may end up as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. What’s evident is how all the holier-than-thou Lib-Dems are getting to sleep at night, however: blaming Labour for the whole thing. […]
