Which Lib Dem minister had the worst year? Here’s what party members think…

By Stephen Tall | Fri 28th December 2012 - 4:55 pm

Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Over 500 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

The Lib Dem half of the Quad top our members’ poll for the worst 2012

LDV asked: In your opinion, which Lib Dem government minister has had the worst year?

Unusually for our Voice surveys, this question allowed an unprompted, free-text response, which c.400 of our respondents filled in. And here’s what you told us:

(Note: only Lib Dem ministers who scored double-digit votes are mentioned here.)

Last year he tied with Chris Huhne, but in 2012 Nick Clegg tops our poll outright as the Lib Dem minister who suffered the worst year. Not only did the party suffer a second successive bruising at the polls, but Nick’s hopes of reforming the House of Lords were shot down in flames by a major backbench Tory rebellion. By late summer, our survey showed party members evenly split whether Nick should lead the party into the next election.

Last year, Danny Alexander came in third place; in 2012, he moves up a place to become runner-up (perhaps not something he’ll celebrate this Hogmanay). For many he is no more than the Lib Dem face of Coalition cuts, always defending George Osborne’s decisions with just a bit too much enthusiasm. That said, he is also steering the Lib Dems closer to meeting the party’s number one manifesto pledge, proving himself more economically adept than the Chancellor, and skilfully navigating a speech to the TUC.

Sarah Teather is one of five Lib Dems in our list who began the year as ministers and end it on the backbenches — she left most noisily, with a scorching exit interview in mid-November, lambasting the Tories’ “immoral and divisive” intent on welfare benefits. She is joined by Chris Huhne, Andrew Stunell, Paul Burstow and Nick Harvey (the latter in particular may feel hard done by for being shunted aside for doing his job at Defence too well).

In total, nine of those who appear above also featured on our list of those who’d had the best year, in alphabetical order: Danny Alexander, Jeremy Browne, Vince Cable, Nick Clegg, Ed Davey, Lynne Featherstone, Nick Harvey, David Laws and Sarah Teather. These polls always trigger a mix of responses: some use it as a chance to vent against a Lib Dem politician who gets their goat; others attempt pure objectivity; and others choose the Lib Dem they think has had the most rotten time to express their sympathy for him/her. Make of it what you wish!

Tomorrow: which Lib Dem MP or peer you think has had the best year…

Over 1,200 Lib Dem paid-up party members are registered with LibDemVoice.org. Over 500 responded to the latest survey, which was conducted between 7th and 11th December.

Please note: we make no claims that the survey is fully representative of the Lib Dem membership as a whole. However, LibDemVoice.org’s surveys are the largest independent samples of the views of Lib Dem members across the country, and have in the past offered accurate guides to what party members think.

For further information on the reliability/credibility of our surveys, please refer to FAQs: Are the Liberal Democrat Voice surveys of party members accurate? and polling expert Anthony Wells’ verdict, On that poll of Lib Dem members.

The full archive of our members’ surveys can be viewed at www.libdemvoice.org/category/ldv-members-poll

* Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.

9 Comments

Peter Watson 28th Dec '12 - 6:43pm

It’s probably not much consolation, but you don’t have to go as far down this list to find a woman.
David 28th Dec '12 - 6:59pm

Chris has done well!? When oh when is his court case – are strings being pulled?
David Goodall 28th Dec '12 - 7:11pm

In future a more positive outlook should be taken try using the question:-

In your opinion, which Lib Dem government minister has had the best year? And why?
Helen Tedcastle 28th Dec '12 - 7:20pm

Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander – having the worst year? Yes, and it could have been so different – not going along with Osborne and Gove’s policies would have been helpful.

I’m sorry that Sarah Teather was moved out of the Government – then again, she has her own mind – and is not Tory-lite.
Richard Dean 28th Dec '12 - 8:15pm

When you write “double-digit”, do you count 8 as two noughts?
Christine Headley 29th Dec '12 - 3:23am

@David Goodall

The good news was yesterday! It’s about half a dozen posts down from this one.
Tim13 29th Dec '12 - 9:12am

Stephen – hope you had good Christmas, and a Happy New Year. Thanks for the work you do for LDV, and in particular, processing these surveys. I am sure you will allow me my mandatory not – so- positive comment! You mention that you have passed on the major issues commented on (presumably negatively?), by members, but there seems nothing in your text or links with any direct quotes from the survey of people’s comments. You have a couple of your own (more balanced) summaries of Clegg and Alexander, and links to individuals’ speeches / reports of action etc. Could we have the quotes, please – unvarnished!
jedibeeftrix 29th Dec '12 - 11:06am

lib-dem’s need to reassess their priorities.

the ‘low’ ranking of Nick Harvey and Jeremy Browne, good ministers who were shuffled out of their parties only representation in the FCO and MoD tells a disappointing tale of the priorities of lib-dem members.

Defence and Foreign Relations matter, very much, and more to the electorate than the party appears to appreciate.
Peter Andrews 29th Dec '12 - 10:17pm

@jedi or it means members interpreted the question to mean that if you lost you Ministerial position then you by definition had a bad year.