Greedy Tories

Charles

Nick

First, my understanding was that it was the *Labour* half of the NO2AV campaign that insisted on the anti-Clegg messaging as a way to motivate their supporters

Second, when Cameron got involved, YES2AV was ahead in the polls. It may be easy with hindsight that they could have pulled some punches and won 60/40 or 55/45 but at the time they were facing an existential threat and needed to throw everything they could into the fight

mazaluk

I think you are being a bit harsh on Mr Cameron, Nick, although I understand why you feel indignant about it.

Politics is a dirty game - and Clegg can't stand the heat, perhaps he should get out of the (coalition) kitchen!

Nicholas

Maybe Cameron would not have "injected poison" if LibDems like Cable had not been injecting poison themselves from day one? It takes two to tango.

Matthew Blott

I don't know Cameron of course but it has been said by many - and not just political foes on the left - that the easy charm fades in private and he can be a very unpleasant individual.

John Dubai

I don't recall Cameron at any point making an issue of Clegg during the campaign. Troublemakers like Huhne and Cable are exceedingly bitter (I almost choked on the irony when Cable called the Tories vicious, tribal and whatever...) but as pointed out in the comments above, it takes two to tango on recriminations. Cameron could have sacked Cable, could've got angry with the Dems over their sniping at the NHS reforms but he didn't. People keep saying the anger between Clegg and Cameron is real for the first time, but I wonder, it still feels oddly synthetic apart from the two aforementioned outspoken 'dems.

Ricky

Once again - another emotional Leftist dominating the Speccie agenda. With Bright and Liddle we now have a full pack of Guardianistas writing for what was once one the the few remaining intellectual platforms for the rational right.

I have asked the question before. Why has the Speccie become yet another echo chamber of the Left. They dominate the media - from the BBC to the so-called Independent and now they fill the Spectator with their contempt, invective and loathing?

The current obsession - the descent from Cleggmania to Cleggphobia - has allowed that loser Millibland to mysteriously escape any serious public scrutiny or criticism. This buffoon supported AV and is a leading spokesman for the Regressive Alliance - whose intellectual roots still lie in a mid 19th century chartism, a somewhat deceitful Fabianism, pre-20th century syndicalism and the rants of the German philosophers of over 150 years ago. All responsible - in one way or another for the collapse of the West, the objectification of mankind and the subsequent slaughter throughout the 20th century and the current intellectual gulag that they prize so dearly.

In the United States, there is an exciting, radical revolution in right wing thought taking place now and the Editorial team at the Speccie aren't even spectators at the feast.

MilkSnatcher

Nick, I don't agree. I think what the LibDems did was pre-emptively attack Cameron, trying to portray him as the one who betrayed Clegg because they knew they were heading for defeat, an attack which has spectacularly backfired on them, making them look like losing whingers (ie like LibDems normally do).

You should focus on the wider issue: the LibDems can't be trusted with any kind of power because they are a party of amateurs: viz. Vince Cable and his BSkyB "nuclear weapon" and the huge misjudgment over calling the AV referendum at all. The electorate has twigged this and is punishing them accordingly.

David Cameron did not hypnotize 11 million voters.

james c

I agree-Cameron panicked and went completely OTT with his No campaign. As is always the case with Dave, he has not thought this through.

Baron

they are all third rate politicians, in the private domain they wouldn't be entrusted to run tap water.

Oedipus Rex

@ Ricky

I'd love to see you call Liddle a 'Guardianista" to his face - the response might well be amusing.

And in any case, all good argument requires views from all sides; it's the dialectic of thought that comes with freedom of speech. I do agree though that the so-called right wingers here are pretty weak.

Harry

Nick, you are absolutely wrong, what Cameron was saying was that AV would lead to more coalitions, this is a fact and not dirty tactics. No-where has Cameron criticized the Lib-dems for being in coalition with him. It is the Lib-Dems who are guilty of lying and spreading misinformation; e.g. MP's would work harder under AV, Your MP doesn't care about your job, all MP's would now have 50% support under AV, AV is a fairer system, AV wouldn't lead to more coalitions, AV would end safe seats, AV would make every vote count, all these - LIES. So clearly it is the Liberals being hypocritical- really to accuse the Conservatives of dirty tactics is a bit high coming from a party of MPs whose career it is to spread mis-truths. The Lib-Dems are the dirtiest campaigners around and shouldn't get away with turning this around on Cameron and the Conservatives. How can you Nick criticize Cameron simply for standing up for the voting system he believes in, you should be ashamed. In fact I am appalled that the rotten filth of this article was ever published on the Spectator of all places.

Fergus Pickering

There, as President Reagan said once before he was President, you go again. Nasty Tories saying what they think. Dearie me!

clare jordan

you know, when someone behaves this way, like making a dramatic overreaction, its a sign of control freakery and eventual paranoia.

boulay

"lib dems discover that another political party might want to win rather than lose" shocker! just imagine - trying to ensure that things are favourable for your party rather than for other parties.

i know the lib dems campaigned on behalf of the tories and labour in the general election because they are such decent individuals even though it was not in their own interest......oh.

FvH

I don't think there's much real sympathy for the Libdems crying foul when there was never any real chance of AV getting a YES, but there is something in the assertion that DC was naive to allow some of the more extreme ads to go out.
As Don Corleone said, "Keep your friends close but keep your enemies even closer"!!
He will need the Libdems onside and happy for some of the fights ahead - it seems calling a snap election is not being considered, unless anybody on here knows anything different???

David

You are aware, are you not, that the anti-Clegg stuff came from the Labour members of the No campaign? Cameron had little to do with it.

I do like your view of his omnipotence though, particularly how he was apparently supposed to be able to know when the referendum was due to be won by 60/40 as opposed to 70/30.

Prince Rupert

It does not matter what LibDems think, they cannot walk out of the coalition without causing a general election, the result of which would probably be a halving of their seats in HoP. They have no choice but to buckle down and make the reforms work and hope the economy turns around.

Conservative

He was cruising to such a crushing victory that only a short time ago you were hypothesizing on these very pages as to how angry conservatives would be if they lost on a small turn out.

You blithering idiot.

ps I can't stand Cameron either so don't worry.

LibertarianLou

Ricky,

Why would you only want to read stuff you already agree with?