Private Eye’s Electionballs has this entry
The Conservatives weren’t the only ones using the “change” mantra whether it made sense or not. Highland Lib Dem Danny Alexander’s “local news” sheet made the bizarre plea: “Re-elect Danny to bring real change”.
Before Thursday, Danny’s constituents had a Labour government. Danny is now Secretary of State for Scotland, having been a member of the Lib Dem negotiation team that brought about the first government with Lib Dem or Liberal ministers in over sixty years.
Yep, I’d say that counted as “real change”.
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15 Comments
>> Yep, I’d say that counted as “real change”.
Well, yes, change is a fact. And, unless Brown remained, there always was going to be change.
That said, Alexander seems to be an unknown quantity, and I’ll be interested to find out more over the coming weeks.
Good to see Danny coming through.
Sad to see we lost Lembit Opik, but kind of wonder if we could put him up for the Mayor of London job…..
‘Yep, I’d say that counted as “real change”’
Yes – to a Tory government, thanks to the shameless hypocrisy of Mr Alexander and his chums
We’ll hopefully see soon enough what his voters think about this ‘change’. Hopefully he will go the same way as the rest of the MPs who voted for this deal.
@ Rachel New – you mean “into government, implementing a big chunk of the manifesto they were elected on, while Labour sit as the opposition that Labour chose to be, after the election held under the voting system that Labour chose”?
Sorry KeLL, I don’t know what election you’re thinking of. The UK election didn’t result in a Tory government, it resulted in a coalition.
Please, please, please, Dave, just admit what has happened. If Cable had been appointed Chancellor, or even First Secretary, I could have seen the argument.
Jen, Labour lost under the popular vote as well as FPtP.
In a few months or so the tories are going to pull the rug out from under the LibDems feet, I can’t help but feel Nick is being taken for a ride by a ‘smooth operator’…….
Just wail til the Tories raise VAT with Clegg sat next to Cameron.Then we’ll see real change.
Yes, I’m sure Scottish Lib Dem voters will be delighted that Alexander has delivered a Tory government.
As will all those Lib Dem voters in the cities. I’m sure they all secretly wanted a Tory government too.
Come to think of it, can anyone point out the difference between the Tories and the Lib Dems now?
Clegg and Cameron looked like two little Tories having a jolly laugh at Number 10 today.
What what the phrase the US Right used to use? “Useful idiots”? The Lib Dems will be trampled on when it suits.
It’s a sad moment for the progressive left. Labour are now the only alternative.
@andrew – the sad moment for the progressive left was shortly after 1997 when New Labour abandoned it. The Lib Dems are taking a big risk working with the Tories, but have secured far more progressive policies than anything Labour has been willing to do in the last few years. That’s a real tragedy, but it’s Labour that brought it about.
Iain, the recipients of Tax Credits, Sure Start, New Deal, working-class areas saved from hooliganism by ASBOs might disagree. But, hey, you’ve got rid of ID cards which everyone on Thurso High Street was delighted about yesterday.
Even were this not the case, and Blair was a neo-liberal (which, to some degree, he was), it’s a bit rich to object when your Party is now insisting it’s Liberal (without reference to the Social Democrat bit) and in hock to a full-blown economically Liberal party.
Strictly speaking, it was [attributed to] Lenin, but the rest fits. Marriage tax breaks are being pushed through, and – having previously called them a nasty little principle, or summat like that – the Parliamentary Party merely is abstaining.
Bitter Labour supporters are really annoying these days arn’t they. Maybe if Labour had done what they said they were going to do 13 years ago you would have the right to complain. Your argument is the political equivalent of ‘so’s your face’
Danny Alexander should hang his head in shame.
He has betrayed the people of the Highlands.