howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#1
i found this a fascinating read, i agree with him totally about the establishment neing rumbled.
courtesy of the indepndent.
It is 6am and Nick Clegg has had a largely wakeful night thanks to his two-year-old son Miguel, a sleep resister. But he surprises his bleary-eyed aides as they head for a Eurostar train to Paris with a neat insight into the phone-hacking crisis.
"The pillars of the British establishment are tumbling one after the other," he says. He points out that the casualties could be viewed on a trip down the River Thames - News International at Wapping (hacking); the banks in the City (the financial crisis); Parliament (MPs' expenses) and nearby Scotland Yard (hacking).
The deputy prime minister senses a rare opportunity in the hacking scandal to carve out a separate niche. The Liberal Democrats have never wooed or been wooed by the media moguls. Unlike David Cameron and Ed Miliband, Mr Clegg did not attend Rupert Murdoch's annual summer party in London last month. He has twice been through the mincer of the ruthless Tory-supporting press machine - during the "Cleggmania" of last year's election and the ill-fated alternative-vote referendum in May.
On the 6.52am train from London St Pancras last Friday, Mr Clegg speaks with passion: "You have politicians falling to their knees ingratiating themselves with media moguls. You have too many vested interests tied up with each other. You have a culture of arrogance and impunity"
He was quick out of the traps last week, pressing Mr Cameron successfully for the public inquiry covering the police and the press to be headed by a judge. Mr Clegg believes the crisis offers an opportunity to clean up Britain's "rotten establishment". To reflect liberal values, of course. "The anger people feel is almost palpable. The question is how we harness that sense of outrage to build something better for the future."
Although the Press Complaints Commission is a "busted flush", he does not favour statutory regulation, which might give politicians "free rein" to shackle the newspapers. "I believe in a raucous, loud, free press."
The controversy offers Mr Clegg a welcome diversion from his party's own woes. For once, it is Mr Cameron's turn to feel the heat. But Mr Clegg knows he will not escape it for long. After a rout in May's local elections, the AV referendum and the continuing cloud of university tuition fees, Liberal Democrat activists are anxious. The voices who believe the party made a catastrophic mistake by getting into bed with the Conservatives will get louder at the party's conference in September.
"It has been really, really tough for us, this first year," Mr Clegg
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#2
I think he is right that the LibDems are not tainted by any of this, but not sure of the level support they may get back because of it.
I still believe they were brave rather than stupid to go in with the Conservatives - only time will tell, but they have certainly gained a measure of successes and stopped some excesses since May last year, on a number of issues.
Roger
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
#3
ROGER;
I'm a little unsure as to what your last posting means?
does it mean you are in line with the lib dems who stopped some of your parties
more right wing proposals going through?
The lib dems have destroyed themselves as a party, and whilst they may feel at the top it was a brave decision, as a party it's a long way back to regain respect from local people.
You only have to look at the last local election results to see a lotr of people voted against hard working lib dem cllrs on national issues to see many lib dem cllrs lose seats.
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#4
Both previous posts are right at the same time but in different ways. The Libdems it appears have reined in full Tory rule so some successes there, Clegg has become very mindfull of his positioning, since he saw his poll ratings hit the skids and plummet.
But while they have had some successes , they have also destroyed themselves as a party, losing their deposit in elections seems to be their forte now. They are in disarray with the disjointed air of doom about them. Nobody looks at Clegg in the same way anymore.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#5
they do punch above their weight though as suggested by roger.
memories are short and in 4 years time the tuition fees issue will be forgotten, not forgotten will be the hacking scandal which is set to run and run.
murdoch has never courted the yellows like he has the other two parties leaving clegg and co with halos over their heads.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
#6
PAULB/HOWARD
Howard, the tuition fee's won't be forgotten by all those students having to pay £9,000, and students in general.
It won't go away today or in the few months left of this cobbled together govt.
The lib dems themselves won't forgive cleggy, just askl all those cllrs in sheffield council who had taken years to take control from labour, but everyu single lib dem was wiped out at the may elections, they won't forgive him, just like all the lib dems across the country, who also lost seats.
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
#7
Agree with Keith (for perhaps the first time ever!). A generation of students have umpteen years of debt imposed upon them and they will be the movers and shakers of the future and will never forget the treachery of Clegg and the LibDems.
Colette put it very well recently:
"In my opinion, of course the government knew that by imposing the £9000 fee, it would result in most if not all universities applying it, these are extremely well educated, highly intelligent people making these decisions so I wont be told otherwise. Nick Clegg is a judas to students now, wherever I went recently whilst in London ,students campuses, their halls of residence and their rented flats were without fail, displaying a defaced poster of the Bad man himself on their walls and to right too."
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
#8
The government should be heavily subsidising courses in subjects where graduates are in short supply and where there is high demand from industry. Students wanting three years of leisure studying Eskimo language, literature and culture should have to pay for the pleasure. No offence to the Inuit is intended.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
#9
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
