The Indy on Nick: ‘Clegg the Credible’

That’s the headline in today’s leader column in the Independent on Sunday. Here are 4 things especially worth picking out …

1. On Nick’s task as Lib Dem leader:

Nick Clegg has done a good job of preparing the Liberal Democrats for an election that suddenly looks likely to be the closest since 1992, and possibly since 1974. His task has not been an easy one. … Mr Clegg has to fight to be heard in this restricted space, while leading a party that, perhaps even more than Labour, harbours a deep suspicion of its leaders. And yet, somehow, Mr Clegg has kept his head and is showing a new confidence and clarity at just the right time.

2. On Nick’s hung parliament strategy:

… he has pre-empted the inevitable questions about which party the Lib Dems would prefer to work with if the election outcome is inconclusive. He can say it is up to the voters: that he is not a kingmaker; 40 million voters are the kingmakers. This allows him to move on to the next stage, of setting out the important policies for which the Lib Dems are seeking a mandate, and which they would try to secure in a hung parliament. They are: tax cuts for the low-paid and tax rises for the rich; more money for school pupils from deprived areas; a green economy; and electoral reform.

3. On the Lib Dems’ election prospects:

… by setting out the ground rules and his own party’s priorities, he has given himself as much negotiating room as is possible. His party goes into the election in good shape, holding steady at just under 20 per cent in the opinion polls, with every expectation of outperforming them, as in the past.

4. And, finally, on the strength of the Lib Dem team:

With the likes of Mr Cable, Chris Huhne and David Laws, the Lib Dem team bears comparison with those of the two larger parties. Thus from the platform in Birmingham today Mr Clegg is able to address his party and the country from a position of more credible strength than any of his predecessors since David Steel in the 1970s.

Read more by or more about .
This entry was posted in News.
Advert

3 Comments

  • “more credible strength than any of his predecessors since David Steel in the 1970s.”

    Eh?

    80s possibly – I don’t think the lIberal party under Steel in the 70s was credibly strong by any definition (Thorpe under investigation, LIb-Lab pact, finishing 5th in Walsall North, 4th in Ladywood, massive councillor losses in 1977 etc)

Post a Comment

Lib Dem Voice welcomes comments from everyone but we ask you to be polite, to be on topic and to be who you say you are. You can read our comments policy in full here. Please respect it and all readers of the site.

To have your photo next to your comment please signup your email address with Gravatar.

Your email is never published. Required fields are marked *

*
*
Please complete the name of this site, Liberal Democrat ...?

Advert

Recent Comments

  • Katharine Pindar
    Prime Minister's Questions today saw our Leader calling for the promised cross-party talks on Social Care to be brought in quickly, and the PM agreeing they are...
  • expats
    Yeovil Yokel 14th Oct '26 - 7:54am......Well, after last night’s meeting of the parliamentary party in Westminster and the overwhelming endorsement of Ed’s ...
  • Mick Taylor
    @PaulBarker. And where are the Greens now? The jury is still out on Burnham. Both bounces were/are essentially short term.And Labour didn't have a contest at ...
  • Tim Rogers
    It's all a matter of how far do you want to go? Sanctions on companies trading with the West Bank would have to be differentiated from those trading in Israel p...
  • paul barker
    The Greens & Labour have b both changed Leaders in the past Year, both saw big increases in support following those changes.The Greens in particular got an ...