Clegg: Are you one of the millions who turned to new Labour in 1997?
David Blackburn 9:01am
Nick Clegg joins the ‘progressive’ debate with a double of salvo in The Times and in a pamphlet, titled ‘The liberal moment’, published by Demos. The philosophically anachronistic Labour party is his target. He writes:
‘The contrast between Labour and liberals is starkest in their different approaches to power. While Labour hoards at the centre, liberals believe that power must be dispersed away from government - downwards to individuals and communities, and upwards to the international institutions needed to tackle our collective problems.
State-centered, top-down solutions are wholly out of step with the demands of our age. Devising a fairer tax system, protecting civil liberties, reforming our clapped-out politics, breaking up monopolistic banks, devolving public services and developing a new concept of green citizenship and internationalism - all require the radical dispersal of power that liberals champion.’
Besides the characterisation of ‘monopolistic banks’ and reservations about quite how uncomfortable being a ‘green citizen’ might be, it’s an attractive analysis; and, on the face of it, like Vince Cable’s planned cuts, the Tories and the Liberal Democrats share common ground. Clegg acknowledges this, arguing that the real choice at the next election is a ‘yellow and blue’ face-off, and that the Conservatives merely ‘spout the language of change to maintain the status quo’.
Clegg undoes himself here. Tory policy is undeveloped, but the premises are unanswerable. Proposed Conservative reforms on cuts, education, public services, Westminster and the demolition of the bureaucratic state is a reform agenda that is driving ‘progressive politics’, hence the many similarities between Tory and Lib Dem policy. There are also radical reforms, such as IDS’ welfare reforms, which are yet to be adopted as party policy. Under Clegg’s criteria, if Labour represented change in 1997, paradoxically, Conservatism does so now. The Tory leadership must develop policy and take advantage of this opportunity.
UPDATE: Many Coffee Housers have raised the Liberal Democrat position on Europe. Certainly their support for the Lisbon treaty doesn't chime well with public opinion, but are they altering their overall stance? Clegg writes in the Times that he seeks ‘a more effective and accountable European Union. Dispersing power more fairly and holding the powerful to account runs as a thread through all my liberal beliefs.’ It’s a start.
Previous
Everard Digby
September 17th, 2009 9:25am Report this commentClegg says that power should dispersed down to the individual. How does this square with his support for the EU which takes away power from the individual and national
governments?
Hawkeye
September 17th, 2009 9:32am Report this commentWhile I regard the Lib Dems as a woolly headed ineffective bunch, I would much rather have them in opposition than the mendacious and incompetent Labour party.
I hope that ex-Labour "leftie" types move to the Lib Dems, back the reality seems to be that the rock hard Comrades will stick tribally to the Labour party.
It should also be pointed out that if you add the polling figures together (roughly - 40 + 25 + 18) it comes to 83%. That remaining 17% could make all the difference to the Lib Dems, even if they could only capture half of them.
Rhoda Klapp
September 17th, 2009 9:36am Report this commentOK, let's pretend to take this seriously. I'd like to know what powers will be returned to the individual. Not the bloody council, who, whatever their party, are not to be trusted with any power at all, save in wonderful Doncaster.
TrevorsDen
September 17th, 2009 9:39am Report this commentThe truth about the Foreign Office
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6837725.ece
strapworld
September 17th, 2009 9:59am Report this commentPower, says Clegg should be shared "downwards to individuals and communities"!
Why then are the Liberal Democrats so supportive of the EU?
Regional Government? The ending of District Councils to larger County Councils? The ending of locally based Magistrates Courts?
The list goes on so Clegg is being economical with the truth. Or is this yet another example of Liberal Democrats saying something different to what they said yesterday to catch votes?The Lib Dems are for central control in all things.
This is not honest politics! This is blatantly desperate politics.
Quite disgraceful.
Paul Williams
September 17th, 2009 10:01am Report this commentState-centered, top-down solutions are wholly out of step with the demands of our age.
Really? So says the party that is the most enthusiastic supporter of the EU project and was quite happy not to vote against the Lisbon Treaty which will do more of precisely what Clegg opposes.
Are the Liberals ever aware of how ridiculous they are?
Sir Graphus
September 17th, 2009 10:01am Report this commentGo back to your constituencies and prepare to be the main opposition party.
Billy Blofeld
September 17th, 2009 10:02am Report this commentIf it is true that the difference between Labour and Liberals are that Labour choose to hoard power at the centre...... then our duty at the election is clear: Vote Anyone But Labour
The country has an historic opportunity to rid itself of the Labour party (and the routine damage they inflict)once and for all.
Rob C
September 17th, 2009 10:48am Report this commentThe LD's are chameleons. We have a number here in the South West and when you try to get anything done locally, they'll say what you want to hear, but they'll do the same for the other viewpoint too. From what I can determine the same is true of the national party. If cuts are in fashion then that's what they stand for, but if spending is popular then we'll have a bit of that too...
Carly
September 17th, 2009 11:11am Report this commentWhy do the media allow the Liberal Democrats to say they believe in moving power down to the people when they are the most pro-european of any of the party's in the UK? It's ridiculous, they need to be challenged on this.
NORMA
September 17th, 2009 11:17am Report this commentOh really. Well how does he square that with being the most enthusiastic party on the European Union? Which let us not forget takes power away from the people.
Kelly
September 17th, 2009 11:19am Report this commentSo Nick Clegg belives in giving power to the people only not onthe Lisbon Treaty. What a joke the Lib Dems are.
Simon Stephenson
September 17th, 2009 11:26am Report this commentClegg's principles are no different from the rest of them. They all embrace the philosophy that election to political office transforms their status from follower to leader. That they are there to determine the course of events not just to seek to influence them.
I'd never delegate authority over my life to a group of people with such an attitude, and it's willing, voluntary delegation of authority that transforms democracy from being a sham into something worthwhile..
Vulture
September 17th, 2009 11:30am Report this commentI'm a right-wing Tory, but one of my closest friends is my Lib Dem MP; our daughters sleep under each other's roofs weekly and I intend to vote for him at the GE because he's an excellent MP, an honest man and a fearless maverick who should be an Independent (Effectively, he is). And the candidate foisted on us by Clique Cameron is a typical squillionaire shyster.
Have said all that, I have to agree with Strapworld that the Lib dems have enough Achilles heels to fit a centipede: chief among which is their unflinching support for the tyrannical European Union. Nick Clegg, like his fellow Old Etonian Dave, is a bag of wind in a suit. Bring back that ginger bloke who liked a dram; or even Jezza Thorpe - at least they had colour.
Cloggie is the most ineffective Liberal leader since....since...the last ineffective one.
Nicholas Hallam
September 17th, 2009 11:37am Report this comment"While Labour hoards at the centre, liberals believe that power must be dispersed away from government - downwards to individuals and communities, and upwards to the international institutions needed to tackle our collective problems."
At least we can influence government at the ballot box. I wouldn't put much faith in those international institutions that LibDems want to transfer governmental powers to.
John Wright
September 17th, 2009 12:01pm Report this commentVulture : Bring back Jeremy Thorpe???? You have a very bad memory. Thorpe was accused of attempting to murder his homosexual lover's dog. He only escaped prison because, being a barrister, all the lawyers concerned with the case conspired against the mentally fragile Norman, (the main witness against him) who then, in a hissy fit, refused to give his
evidence. Even the appalling Gordon Brown cannot be accused of this.
Has my typing improved, Strapworld?
John Wright
September 17th, 2009 12:02pm Report this commentVulture : Bring back Jeremy Thorpe???? You have a very bad memory. Thorpe was accused of attempting to murder his homosexual lover's dog. He only escaped prison because, being a barrister, all the lawyers concerned with the case conspired against the mentally fragile Norman, (the main witness against him) who then, in a hissy fit, refused to give his
evidence. Even the appalling Gordon Brown cannot be accused of this.
Has my typing improved, Strapworld?
Vulture
September 17th, 2009 12:20pm Report this comment@ John Wright
It's you who have the bad memory, John. Thorpe was accused not of the attempted murder of his (alleged) lover's dog, but of the attempted murder of the (alleged) lover himself!
He was acquitted of the crime, and the (alleged) lover survived. The dog - Rinka by name - however died.
Verity
September 17th, 2009 2:23pm Report this commentWell said to Strapworld!
John Wright
September 17th, 2009 2:50pm Report this commentA high Tory who will vote Lib.Dem. If party politics is relevant I am to the right of Simon Heffer. Thank you for reminding me that it was NORMAN rather than his dog who was the intended victim. What worries me is that you appear to think that an alcoholic or an alleged attempted murderer is fit to be a possible Prime Minister of this country. Do you regard politics as a joke?
P.S. You're not a lawyer are you?
Jay
September 17th, 2009 3:04pm Report this commentI'm with the Queen Mother on the Lib Dems. This from todays Daily Mail.
Also uncovered is her disdain-for the ‘dear old Liberal-Democrat Mixup Party’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1214041/The-Queen-Mother-She-loved-owls-fairies-miners-She-hated-oysters-LibDems-kissed-U-S-president-And-lived-day-last.html#comments#ixzz0RN8Us0C0
She certainly had the measure of them.
Crappy little country, crappy people in it
September 17th, 2009 3:06pm Report this comment"power must be dispersed away from government - downwards to individuals and communities, and upwards to the international institutions needed to tackle our collective problem."
Its a contradiction. He's a prat.
paulgilboy
September 18th, 2009 12:51pm Report this commentThe liberal party have not been liberal for over a hundred years.
No liberal thinker would even recognise the modern day liberal party.
Its members are only member because they really don't want to have power just a say. That would not be too bad but what they say is usually drivel.
Apparently the E.U are stopping companies from using generic terms such as describing their sausages as cumberland sausages unless they are made in cumberland.
This should also apply to political parties, as the liberals are not a liberal party as it is understood.
Chris Davison
September 18th, 2009 2:54pm Report this commentI must disagree with the opinion to disperse power to international Organisations. IMNVHO Both the EU and UN should be broken up, their influence is wholly malign.
I would damn Liberals with Labour for the same reason; both want to spend too much (of MY money). If they want to soend money let it be their's and if that is not enough for their purposes then let them raise the extra by voluntary subscription
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