Were the Lib Dems right to tweet earlier today that Nick Clegg would taoday become “the first Liberal leader since 1922 to lead PMQs”? That’s the question that’s been raging today.
My LDV Co-Editor Mark Pack believes he has the definitive answer, and has blogged it in his professional capacity here.
His conclusion: “strictly speaking Nick Clegg won’t be the first Liberal (Democrat) leader since 1922 to answer Prime Minster questions.” He is, however, the first Liberal to answer questions in place of the Prime Minister since 1922.
Dr Pack has spoken; surely there can be nothing left to add?
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3 Comments
Is Mark Pack confident that neither Sir Herbert Samuel nor Sir John Simon, both important ministers in the National Governments of the 1930s, never deputised in similar circumstances for either Ramsay MacDonald, Stanley Baldwin or Neville Chamberlain?
…but as PMQs weren’t introduced until the 1960s the historical parallels are somewhat academic!
Ah, so in other words, former social democrats can either shut up or depart the field. I mean, calling the party leader a Liberal, and him proclaiming himself as such, basically says that the party merger wasnt a merger of ideals and creeds, but a takeover. Is that really what is being said?