Here’s Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg saying that the Leveson Inquiry is the best place for culture secretary Jeremy Hunt to give evidence about his role in the BSkyB takeover bid…
(Available on the BBC website here.)
And here’s Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes calling for an inquiry into whether Jeremy Hunt breached the ministerial code of conduct through his role in the BSkyB takeover bid…
(Available on the BBC website here.)
* Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.
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13 Comments
Simon is right. If there is an allegation that Hunt has broken the ministerial code of conduct, he should be investigated as set out by the ministerial rule book. Waiting for an inquiry that was set up for an entirely different brief just means that we have a lame duck cabinet minister left to limp on because Leveson won’t let him jump the queue to give evidence. Leaving Hunt to carry on like this damages the government, and that includes the Lib Dems.
Well, Simon is a lawyer, as well as a Murdoch victim.
Clegg would have agreed with Hughes if he was still in Opposition.
It’s behaviour like Clegg’s that is making people think badly of the coalition.
All the effort that goes into keeping things hidden.
Going along with the Tory position just so as to not rock the boat is why the Lib Dems are polling so poorly.
Nick Clegg’s apparent acquiescence with the Tory line/spin will help to further decimate LibDem suppport – already at a dangerours low. But why does he think he needs to do it?
Is this the same Cameron who promised ‘open government’? He didn’t let Allan near Liam Fox and, unless it’s to save his own skin, he won’t let Allan near Hunt.
However, when Top Tories like Bernard Jenkin ( Conservative chair of the public administration select committee) call for Hunt’s case to be referred to Sir Alex Allen we should be putting ‘clear blue water’ between us and this affair; instead, we now have Clegg backing Cameron instead of distancing himself from this wholly Tory problem.
I don’t know why but, perhaps, LDV could run a thread asking, “Has Nick gone native”?
Absolutely agree with Richard. Clegg should be off somewhere else while the Tories the rash around.
@ Jason
Or – do you believe that Nick will be fighting the next GE as a Lib/Dem candidate?
John RoffeyApr 29 – 9:13 am………..@ Jason Or – do you believe that Nick will be fighting the next GE as a Lib/Dem candidate?……
Judging by his actions, so far, he didn’t fight the last one as a Lib/Dem.
@ Jason
Being against our membership of the EU, I was a member of UKIP 7 or 8 years ago.
It was understood at that time and after that Farage was offered a safe Tory seat if he would leave UKIP [it was seen as a one man band].
Clegg has the choice betwwn taking the Cameron line to ignore Justice Leveson and wait ( a month?) until Hunt has appeared before the inquiry and accepting his Deputy’s view that the process for parliamentary investigation is already in place, set up for precisely this type of issue. He chose Cameron. Worse still for a Don Foster fan like me Don was on the telly exhuding the virtues of the leveson inquiry before Cameron has to make a decision. This is really sad.
@ BrianD
It is generally accepted that Lib/Dems are broadly trusting souls and it is clear that there are no influential Machiavellian characters operating on behalf of the Party, or, it would seem – judging by its present poll ratings, m/any who actually recognise the dark arts of political strategy when met head-on.
If the Party is to survive the Coalition with more than a handful of seats [and a dreadful reputation] it better start recruiting!
I don’t think he’s necessarily “gone native” but I do think it’s one of these points where he’d have been better saying nothing at all or some wooly fudge. If Clegg had actually given an indication of support for an inquiry, however vague, we wouldn’t be in this position because Hunt would have gone.
Of course, if Clegg & Cameron had just listened instead of panicing when Cable lost the right to decide on BSkyB, and had heard the many warnings given about Hunt’s closeness to Murdoch at that time, then we wouldn’t have this problem at all. Just sayin’….
It seems to me that the reason the majority believe that NC has not ‘gone native’ is because they believe he would not stoop so low – when it is clear that the Tories can offer him a far better future.
Is there any evidence to support this confidence?