The Lib Dems need their A team on the field
James Forsyth 6:06pm
Nick Clegg’s reshuffle illustrates the problems that he is going to have as Lib Dem leader. Three of the most talented and well know Lib Dems won’t be on the front bench. It is hard to imagine that a party as small as the Lib Dems can afford to have big beasts like Charlie Kennedy, Paddy Ashdown and Ming Campbell missing from the front line.
The top team is, though, as Iain Martin argues, strong in certain aspects. Vince Cable is an impressive figure and if the economy goes south, he’ll make sure that the Lib Dems benefit politically. Ed Davey will be a more formidable foreign affairs spokesman than Michael Moore and Chris Huhne will work tirelessly at Home, how much that will please the new leader remains to be seen.
Other appointments suggest that Clegg is still a little too cautious. I’d have like to have seen David Laws given a brief covering public service reform in its entirety. But the appointments to the public service posts do suggest a definite, and welcome, tilt in the Orange Book direction.
Lynne Featherstone’s talents seem a little wasted at Youth and Equality. While Julia Goldsworthy would have been better deployed in a wider ranging brief than Communities and Local Government, indeed it is a criticism of both the Tories and the Lib Dems that their female spokesman seem to all too often to just end up shadowing female ministers.
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welsh and proud to be a liberal
December 20th, 2007 6:59pmGoldsworthy is in this job to ensure that the proposed Cornish Assembly arrangement goes smoothly for the Lib Dems and that they retain control of the politics of Cornwall. The Conservatives need Cornwall to ensure victory at the next election. At the moment the Cornish tories are depleted and are said to be a parlous force with no big hitters or solid support from traditional Conservatives. Too much historical in fighting and lacklustre Candidates.
Peter Welch
December 20th, 2007 7:18pm"I’d have like to have seen David Laws given a brief covering public service reform in its entirety." That is what he has been given: he chairs the public services committee in the shadow cabinet.
john problem
December 21st, 2007 6:56pmNick Clegg's cabinet mirrors the Tory shadows and the Brown Cabinet in having members who have little experience outside politics. Yes, there are media folk, researchers, thinkers, but not many doers. As usual. Is it the lack of knowledge of the daily grind that hampers the competence of our leaders?However, at least Vince Cable has knowledge of economics (how useful that would have been to Brown and Darling) and Davey seems an expert in post offices. But in terms of an exotic lineage and international gallivanting, their leader rules supreme - PR man Cameron and Lawyer Brown pale into insignificance beside Nick Clegg who has walked the floors of the EU giving away funds, written journalism from foreign climes, and stuffed his years with learning, giving lectures, setting up good works and more. Let's hope he lasts and provides us with entertainent less dour than Brown's and less vague than Cameron's.
RW
December 21st, 2007 7:29pmPoint of order, Peter Welch: there is no such thing as a Liberal Democrat "shadow cabinet", merely a group of MPs who speak on specific topics. This group has no constitutional significance, unlike the real Conservative Shadow Cabinet.
Chris Cummins
December 22nd, 2007 5:17pmQuite right RW. The correct term is Liberal Democrat Spokesmen or as the Lib Dems would probably say "LiberalDemocrat Spokespersons2.
Tim Footman
December 23rd, 2007 8:03amJon Problem: Brown's worked in academia and media, but he's not a lawyer.