Iain Dale, 26 February 2008:
Talking about Nick Clegg’s support for an in/out referendum on Europe: “I could never understand why Nick Clegg didn’t junk this ridiculous policy when he had the chance to.”
Iain Dale, 23 November 2007:
“I suggest that David Cameron looks to the Lib Dems to steal a policy.”
Can you guess what policy that was dear reader?
Oh I think you can…
I was the Liberal Democrat policy for “a referendum on ‘In or Out'”.
So, it is both “ridiculous” and also something Cameron should copy? Hmm…
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13 Comments
Context, dear boy, context.
Context = towing the current official Tory party line, no matter how many u-turns it may have taken along the way.
Oh dear, Mr Dale 🙄
Try reading my Telegraph article today and see if you can write that sentence again without bursting out laughing.
Morning, Iain. Fancy seeing you round here 🙂
Yet again, the anti-Iain brigade resort to quoting him out of context to try and score a few political points.
How’s about answering a few questions about Nick Clegg instead – like why it has taken him weeks as leader of the Lib Dems to take a stand on a referendum of any sort on the EU? Perhaps it might be because his own front benchers were about to embarrass him with a rebellion?
Seriously, I don’t understand the “context” defence. What of relevance has changed since Mr Dale made that argument back in November? The major parties’ positioning on the Treaty hasn’t changed – and although Nick Clegg has become Lib Dem leader, he has taken basically exactly the same view of this as Ming did.
Ah yes, the man who was going to win Norfolk North.
Hopeless Iain Dull. Yawn.
Plump nasty Tory boy.
Colin, read your own comment again and tell me who’s being nasty. Me or you? Typically, you remain anonymous. If you are going to insult me at least have the courage to say who you are.
Iain,
I agree that ColinW’s post is pathetic. But could you clarify what the context was behind both comments? Save me the trouble of looking up your old blog postiungs!
Much appreciated!
COntext is such a weak argument? Come on Iain!
LiberalHammer: I don’t think reading both of Iain’s two pieces of writing in full will answer your context question. I checked them both twice before publishing the item, and both quotes fully reflect the tenor of the rest of each of those pieces.
Letters from a Tory: I guess you didn’t see the date I put on Iain’s first comment. He was praising Nick’s firm line on a referendum back in November, which rather puts the lie to your claim that Nick didn’t take a firm line on this issue until long after becoming leader.
Iain. I am a LibDem reader of your blog, and, unlike some people commenting on here, I rather enjoy it. I’d like to hear from you, in your own words, about what the context was, because on the face of it it does look like a contradiction. Thank you. Stuart
I don’t actually agree with Anonymous – the context in which something is said can make a huge difference to its meaning.
It’s just that in this case I don’t see how the context is different to now.
Iain – I haven’t hid behind anonymity (I’ve even provided a photo of myself if that makes any difference!) – and my views on all this are visible to all on my own blog – but it was a serious question: how does the context make a difference in this case?