Yesterday saw the monthly “Pick on Nick Clegg” day at Westminster. Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions is not known for its searching scrutiny of Government. Instead, Labour and Tories line up to take cheap shots at Nick. The experience he gains there is probably why he’s so good at town hall meetings and question and answer sessions at Conference.
DPMQs usually passes by unnoticed by the press. Yesterday, however, was different. Nick had a “Stalin to Mr Bean” moment when responding to a question about Grant Shapps and whether the Liberal Democrats were going to do a deal over party funding. Readers will no doubt be aware of the revelations that the Tory chairman wrote some business advice guides under the name of Michael Green. Well, this is how Nick answered the question:
Yes, I have also read press reports that the chairman of the Conservative party wishes to strike a deal with us on boundaries in return for a party funding deal. I suppose that is finally a “get rich quick” scheme which he is prepared to put his name to.
And there was more to come. In a “trash two Tries for the price of one” answer, he had a quick swipe at Euro-sceptic Tory arch-enemy Peter Bone as well:
Let me put it this way: a change of mind on my part on the issue as is likely as the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr Bone) going to Norway to accept the Nobel prize on behalf of the European Union. It is not going to happen.
Several publications seem to have woken up to the fact that Nick Clegg is quite good at this sort of thing. The Guardian’s Simon Hoggart talked of him smashing Labour MPs who tried to rile him in the kisser. Kick-ass Clegg, said Donald McIntyre in the Independent. Over at the Huffington Post, Ned Simons said it seemed that Nick was having fun.
Long may this continue! The thing is, I don’t think yesterday was so different from other DPMQs. Nick usually manages to swat away the irritating bile that’s flung at him. It just goes to show how a well-timed one-liner can make all the difference to how an event is reported.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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4 Comments
“Nick had a ‘Stalin to Mr Bean’ moment”
I think you mean “Mr Bean to Stalin”, Caron. Apart from that bit of semantics, great stuff. Let’s give our leader a bit of credit. I have followed him on DPM’s Questions fior some time and I don’t think we have anyone else who could match him .
Perhaps a new career as a stand up comedian awaits him after 2015.
I’m beginning to wonder what effect the Cameron emails to Rebeka Brooks is having on the PM, and Nick is beginning to gain confidence that he is going to be taking up the burden of carrying Cameron. I wonder whether Nick’s apology has helped his confidence as well. It certainly has made defending the LibDems in Coalition easier for me.
If politicians of all colours moved out of their Westminster ivory tower into the the streets, pubs, clubs and workplaces where their constituents live out their real lives, they would rapidly realise how totally sick people are of the childish ya boo politics epitomised by prime ministers question time.