On 27th August, LDV will be 10 years old. In that time, we’ve brought you over 24,000 posts and published over 337,000 comments. Over the Summer holidays, we’ll take you on a nostalgic meander through a decade of Liberal Democrat history, seen through the eyes of our editors and contributors. We hope you enjoy our choices.

Remember that wonderful day in 2009 when a Liberal Democrat motion to allow Gurkhas to settle in this country was won and the Labour Government was defeated.  Joanna Lumley had been at the forefront of the campaign and she and Nick Clegg and David Cameorn held a press conference after the vote.

The next week, Joanna Lunley had some robust exchanges with then Labour MP Phil Woolas ( remember him?).

It’s a huge pity that David Cameron seemed to forget this when he let down the Afghan interpreters who served our country and put themselves and their families at huge risk.

Anyway, here’s Alex Foster’s post rounding up the commentary on that historic day before the result of the vote was known.

As I type, the Lib Dems are holding the Government to account on their stance on rights for Ghurka troops to settle in the UK.

But in PMQs this afternoon, Clegg launched a blistering attack on the Prime Minister on the Ghurka issue, despite following Cameron’s similar question.

And he’s been rewarded for his efforts with a round of ace reviews from bloggers across the spectrum:

Jane Marrick: Clegg’s finest hour

But it was Clegg who played the real blinder. This was the Lib Dem leader’s best performance at PMQs. Clegg has struggled to find the right issue to get the PM on, but this, on the Gurkhas, is the right one.

Guido Fawkes: Clegg Hits His Mark

Iain Dale: Clegg Shines and puts Brown on the Ropes

This was Nick Clegg’s strongest performance yet at PMQs in his 16 months as LibDem leader. Despite being pre-empted by Cameron, he put Brown on the back foot.

Gordon Brown 5
David Cameron 6
Nick Clegg 7

UPDATE: Andrew Neil has just said that the Daily Politics has never had such an avalanche of emails after PMQs as today on the Gurkhas. Furthermore, every single one of them supported the Gurkhas. Every. Single. One.

Caron’s Musings: Clegg slams Brown on Ghurkas

Brown gave a bit of a lacklustre answer, which, to be honest, it was hard to imagine he actually believed himself. Nick came straight back at him saying that “his answer was that of a man who knows he’s doing a shameful thing but doesn’t have the guts to admit it or change it.”

I want Clegg fighting on my side if I’m ever in trouble.

Paul Waugh: Clegg wins PMQs

[…] it was Nick Clegg who won the day. Many of us thought he would have to junk his Gurhka questions after Cameron majored on the subject. Yet as it happened, the Lib Dem leader was more passionate and more scathing than his Tory counterpart.

Final word to Jane Merrick:

PS I get the feeling this will be settled by the end of the week with another u-turn. At least two newspapers are running campaigns on the Gurkhas, including the Sun (which never loses campaigns). This is an issue where there is cross-party anger.

It’s a crying shame that on such an issue the Government has to be forced into providing justice for brave soldiers.

We did good that day.

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