Nick Clegg’s director of strategy, Richard Reeves, has announced that he is to step down from his position after deciding to move to the United States. Reeves was instrumental in establishing the 5-year Lib Dem coalition strategy, which he famously represented on a graph plotting “Lib Dem identity” and “Government unity and strength” over the five year parliament. Reeves was previously the head of Demos, and biographer of John Stuart Mill.
The Guardian has more on Reeves’ resignation:
[Reeves] and his American-born wife, Erica, are to depart for the US in the summer to give a chance for his two dual-nationality children to be raised in the US and be educated in American schools. They are 13 and 10.
Reeves stressed he was not deserting his boss due to disillusionment with the party’s prospects after the latest national poll showed the Liberal Democrats trailing Ukip. He regards judgments about the outcome of the next general election as ridiculously premature.
He said: “It has been a huge honour and incredibly exciting to be part of the first peacetime coalition for decades, and also, as a dyed-in-the-wool liberal, to serve Liberal Democrat ministers.”
* Nick Thornsby is a day editor at Lib Dem Voice.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
John Maynard Keynes: A very political economist
Lib Dem Federal Conference: use the drafting advice service
Is the market for flats in England/Liverpool dead?
The targeting of journalists is a real threat to democracy
Judy Abel
Rose Runswick
Tristan Ward
Peter Davies
12 Comments
Many will breathe a sigh of relief.
There was a strategy?
I am not sure whether to laugh or cry.
I won’t – Reeves was a great strategist, a committed Liberal, and a valuable disciple and evangelist of Mill at the heart of Government.
The range of two opinions and one uncertainty in these three comments seems to suggest that the chap wasn’t too successful at knitting the party into something coherent enough to win an election. But I guess he started with a catastrophe and was able to make some improvements. Let’s hope the new person can build on what he achieved.
…………..to give a chance for his two dual-nationality children to be raised in the US and be educated in American schools. They are 13 and 10………….
No local ‘Free School’? Or, perhaps, so he and Steve Hilton (Cameron’s ex) can compare notes.
Where should I look for the job advertisement for his replacement?
I hope the replacement doesn’t confuse principle and messaging. I hope the replacement understands how badly let down many of our former supporters have been feeling of late. And I hope the replacement can break into this cosy Quad and put the party back at the centre of what Lib Dems say and do in government.
“Geez! Another goddam Brit coming over here to show us how to do politics. Director of Strategy for their Vice-President? Oh wow!”
It would be nice to see some of these “strategists” actually stick around and see their plans through, not disappear to the States when the going gets tough. We need people of reslience in in the party right now, not Bertie Wooster.
If the five year coalition strategy was typical of his work :-(((((((((((
It all reminds me of one of those marvelous campaign plans drawn up by someone who will not actually be canvassing, leafleting, recruiting or artworking themselves but has instead set some targets for others.
I don’t think any leadership that made the hash they did of tuition fees can claim to have a strategy.
“…a committed Liberal, and a valuable disciple and evangelist of Mill at the heart of Government.” – ah, so that’s why! Knew there had to be a reason why the country is up the creek.