The Lib Dems keep 'em guessing
Peter Hoskin 12:21pm
Last week, Nick Clegg was singing the blues. But, this week, it's clear that he's doing as much as possible to distinguish his party from the others. Indeed, his performance in PMQs yesterday was a case in point: he went out of his way to attack both Brown and Cameron, and positioned his side as the non-Unite, non-Ashcroft choice. Given the Lib Dem's recent history with dodgy donors, that's a move which - at the very least - is going to ruffle a few red and blue feathers.
So it's striking, today, that the Lib Dems are probably going even heavier on the Ashcroft story than Labour. While Peter Mandelson is concentrating on why David Cameron "couldn't find the backbone or the bottle to ask [Lord Ashcroft] the relevant questions", Chris Huhne has effectively said that William Hague lied on his Today programme interview this morning. Huhne adds that Hague is now "completely unfit to be Foreign Secretary," and that the Tories have been involved in a "cynical cover-up". That's fighting talk, if ever I heard it.
Of course, it's likely that none of this says anything about the Lib Dems' intentions in the event of a hung parliament. They are, after all, obliged to attack their opponents - so they're going about it with gusto. But it could result in some pretty awkward discussions in a few weeks time.
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David B
March 18th, 2010 12:32pm Report this commentSomething about people in glass houses!!!
stepney
March 18th, 2010 12:35pm Report this commentFurther findings from my continuing research into Headlines You'll Never See:
"Chris Huhne Speaks: The Nation Listens".
Bill Kristol-Balls
March 18th, 2010 12:41pm Report this commentNo s*** Sherlock.
Wonder if Cameron will be made to regret his response to the question of what his favourite political joke was?
Maggie
March 18th, 2010 12:41pm Report this commentHave the Lib Dems returned the £2.4million they received from the fraudster Michael Brown yet?
Greenslime
March 18th, 2010 12:43pm Report this commentThe thought of the Libdems controlling things is truly frightening! Being forced to wear sandals, grow a beard and take out a subscription to the Grauniad would just be the start of it. They'd soon be banning all the other colours in the smartie tube and making us all go on holiday in VW camper vans.... Ugh!
denis cooper
March 18th, 2010 12:54pm Report this commentAccording to the BBC, among other media outlets, the Liberal Democrats have no recent history with dodgy donors and are in a position to condemn the other two main parties.
Well, the BBC has reported on the £2.4 million that they took from ex-patriate businessman and now-convicted fraudster Michael Brown, channelled through a shell company before the 2005 election, but that's all sorted out and in the past:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8370284.stm
Curiously the Tory leaders seem happy for that episode to be consigned to the past, while they take stick over Ashcroft.
Kevin Davis
March 18th, 2010 2:10pm Report this commentChris Huhne's calculation is that if the Conservatives win then he won't be in Parliament anyway.
Liz Brown
March 18th, 2010 2:12pm Report this commentC'mon let's talk more about Whelan and Unite - time for the meeja t stick it to Liebour again...............
James Clarke
March 18th, 2010 4:04pm Report this commentThat would not be the same Chris Huhne that lives in the marginal Ashcroft targeted seat of Eastleigh by any chance?
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