Stephen Tall

CommentIsLinked@LDV: Nick Clegg – ‘Freedom is taking a battering under kneejerk New Labour’

By | Thu 11th December 2008 - 6:51 pm

Over at The Guardian’s Comment Is Free blog yesterday, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg wrote about Jack Straw’s attack on the Human Rights Act. (An issue which has also today provoked the ire of Lib Dem peer Lord Lester). Read it in full here, but here’s an excerpt of Nick’s trenchant critique:

The justice secretary is picking a meaningless fight to generate a favourable headline, while conning opponents of the Human Rights Act into believing that he’s saying something of greater significance. In short, it’s sly populism of the worst kind. …

At a time of acute national economic crisis, kneejerk populism from the government will inflame a culture of blame and vilification, fragmenting communities exactly when people need to hang together. Diversity and tolerance are easy to defend in the good times. The real test for political leaders is whether they’re prepared to defend them in bad times too.

Read more by .
This entry was posted in LibLink.
Advert

Post a Comment

Lib Dem Voice welcomes comments from everyone but we ask you to be polite, to be on topic and to be who you say you are. You can read our comments policy in full here. Please respect it and all readers of the site.

To have your photo next to your comment please signup your email address with Gravatar.

Your email is never published. Required fields are marked *

*
*
Please complete the name of this site, Liberal Democrat ...?

Advert

Recent Comments

  • Slamdac
    Given that (1) 255 British Soldiers were killed, and (2)755 were injured in the Falklands War and (3)about 5,000 to 7,000 British Soldier's served in the Fa...
  • Rif Winfield
    Yes, thanks for an excellent contribution, Vince. We do need to have a detailed discussion about the best way to provide social housing. Those of us with long m...
  • Callum Robertson
    I do always appreciate it when a member of the House of Lords who sits in the helpful category of being exempt from tax from their lords allowance feels the nee...
  • Callum Robertson
    Jana - with all the best will in the world, there are not exactly masses of jobs available for young people....
  • Peter Hirst
    Hope does not come just from economic prosperity. The north enjoys wild spaces and mountains where you can walk all day with hardly seeing a soul. It has many v...