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Liberalism and BS

What now separates Clegg from the Tories?

 

So, according to the Guardian, the Deputy Prime Minister sees little difference between liberalism and the "big society".

Following on from the increase in tuition fees, this further blurring of lines makes one want to adapt the ending of Animal Farm:

The voters outside looked from Tory to Clegg, and from Clegg to Tory, and from Tory to Clegg again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

David Allen Green is a judge of the Orwell Prize for blogging in 2011.

27 comments

Dave C's picture

I'm glad you provided a gloss for BS, as I was thinking along different lines.

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Neville Peters's picture

Clegg should defect to the tory party, along with Alexander and Cable. They should have the courage of their current convictions.

In truth, they crossed the line with the original coalition agreement, which in truth never stood up to the widespread analysis that said it was a good deal for the Lib Dems.

The present situation makes a mockery of true Lib Dems and their supporters. It's time for the leadership of the party to make their minds up once and for all.

And I speak as someone who voted Lib Dem at the last election. Never again while Clegg, Alexander and Cable are in positions of seniority.

lusina's picture

Clegg is a huge disappointment to all those who voted for him at the last election (as the polls already show), who certainly weren't of Tory orientation. Probably, all this proves where his real sympathies always were. Where are his Liberal progressive credentials? Does he not feel ashamed in the shadow of the likes of Gladstone, Asquith, LLoyd George and Churchill in his younger days? One can easily read the sympathetic body language when Clegg is with his (soul) mate Cameron (the quintessential Tory). After all one can never call Clegg of being otherwise than upper class. So what can one expect? It is a pity that his colleagues in the so called Lib-Dem Party are still clinging to him? In doing so, they are only moving blindly to complete elimination from the political scene by the next election. Are they foolish enough not to realise that any merits which this government gains during their period of office will be attributable mainly to the Tories while their junior partners get only the blame for what went wrong. This is certainly very evident even from the few months that they have been in government as a coalition.

swatantra's picture

Its a good question. Clegg is basically a new European, which might be a good thing. He doesn't quite fit in anywhere in British politics. He sees Britain as a natural member of the European Community. And they do their politics differently in Europe.
So he would be most happy representing Britains interests in Europe as its High Representative.
Which means that the leadership of tnhe Lib Dems would be up for grabs.

Marcus's picture

Why do pundits at left-leaning media outlets like the New Statesman, BBC and the Guardian automatically assume that socialists and true liberals are somehow drawn together?

They most certainly are not.

I would never back a Lib-Lab coalition as i am fundamentally opposed to the state taking more money and control of my life.

I applaud Clegg and co for their bravery in undertaking this 5 year arrangement.

yuccaplant's picture

i always thought of liberals operating in the middle of british politics what we're seeing now clearly isnt that its a right wing agenda nothing more.

I do wonder what the rank and file think of all this,if things stay as they are (and i see no reason for anything to change we could be all be rolling around in fivers or tenners come the next GE and the libdems wouldn't get an ounce of credit for it)they face a massacre who knows maybe even extinction as a political party.

Yet clegg and his cronies cuddle ever closer to the tories madness i tell you madness.

matthew fox's picture

Nick Clegg isn't brave. People on benefits, the elderly, the unemployed are going to be courageous.

Where is the bravery of scrapping the EMA's?

I take it, Lib Dems justify controlling the lives of the unemployed? Don't forget, the unemployed are now to blame for unemployment.

According to IDS, they need to get on the bus, and if your an umemployed person, from the North, cherry picking, seems to be the order of the day.

People are going to be free, free to be poor, free to be homeless, free to live on benefits, for the rest of their lives.

swatantra's picture

The removal of EMAs is in fact more serious and detrimental to getting and keeping young people in further education than the rise in universty fees saga. So I hope the Govt is forced to climb down and do a U Turn on EMAs.

swatantra's picture

The removal of EMAs is in fact more serious and detrimental to getting and keeping young people in further education than the rise in universty fees saga. So I hope the Govt is forced to climb down and do a U Turn on EMAs.

nickmann's picture

Clegg looks dreadful. He's aged seven years in seven months. At this rate by 2015 he'll be a centinarian.

But probably no wiser.

ang's picture

The IFS, yesterday, said the EMA costs will be more than recouped, as it has proved that more students stay in higher education with this small financial incentive, which is beneficial to the economy and has been shown to reduce crime rates among this age group, which is good for society. Surely the govt doesn't have a leg to stand on, after these findings. It has to be a U-turn.
Nick Clegg looks beat and he deserves it.

Dark Heart of Toryland's picture

Marcus, presumably then you prefer to let multi-national corporations and private equity funds continue taking your money and control of your life?

Sam's picture

Those pesky multi-nationals are always taking the working man's money (in exchange for products.)

Marcus's picture

@Dark Heart of Toryland:

Your point is topical, but sadly lacks relevance.

I dont remember any multi-national, or equity fund legally forcing me to pay 64p out of every £1.00 I work every day of my life to earn.

My definition of freedom is a number and that number is 49p.

But still, that man Nick Clegg, ooow he's awful. A truly despicable man, just horrid. Terrible because he didnt want to play ball with a deeply unpopular man and tired political party.

Marcus's picture

@Sam:

Exactly!

Sam's picture

Also Clegg is right in saying that liberalism and the big society are the same thing. Centralizing power and authority is hardly liberal.

maria7's picture

my fascination with the article died as soon as I found out what you intended 'BS' to mean. Was hoping for something else.....

Mulligrubs's picture

There's nothing new about political opportunism - combined with ambition - it makes mincemeat of manifesto promises and professed principles. Clegg has shown himself to be a lightweight - something he does have in common with his leader and best friend - Cameron. If either were Labour politicians they would have been hounded out of office by now - by a hostile media. Therein lies the real difference.

matthew fox's picture

I take it, that Marcus is referring to Gordon Brown and the Labour Party.

Do the council workers, who are waiting for their p45 to bring in the new year really leaping like lord at the moment?

How many people who are facing the push, going to find a job?

Once thing I have noticed, is that the ConDems have no plans to help the umemployed.

When the Rover Group went belly up, the Labour Government set up a taskforce to help the area.

What is out there to help tomorrow's unemployed?

Lox's picture

@Neville, what's a true lib dem? From what I can see the party has always been a slightly uncomfortable coalition anyway, between people like Clegg or Alexander-who are, despite what Lusina might think, pretty true to the traditions of British liberalism-and the political descendants of the '81 Gang of Four: i.e., Social Democrats disaffected with a left wing labour party. But I guess that throws up it's own dilemmas-for Clegg, for Cameron, and for Milliband. I think the latter has the least room for maneouvre, though. Clegg will hold on to most of his party, as will Cameron, but Ed M can't reach out to social democrats within the Lib Dems and keep the left in his own party happy.

@Marcus & Sam, good posts. Lucid, and on the ball.

Mrs Nobody's picture

Nick Clegg is definitely full of BS, how right you are NS.

Mike's picture

We should scrap political labels because they make no sense. People throw labels around.

Can anyone even define 'conservative' or 'labour'. And if someone associates with one of those labels does it mean that the definition of that labels taints their whole belief on every political point?

Labels help us generalise a person's views. I don't think of myself as liberal or conservative any more. I have opinions on political issues without the need of dumb labels.

We should scrap political parties and instead have a group of teachers and parents running the education system, a group of nurses and doctors running the NHS. People would vote on individual issues. The current political system is utter crap and is outdated.

Reginald-Fah-fah's picture

Nick Clegg is doing a wonderful job and has only u-turned on one minor decision.

Compared to Ed 'Nobodies Land' Miliband', who has u-turned on his whole pre-election's promises and policies.

Blank sheets of paper!!!

Labour have no policies, that a meltdown and a let down to their supporters!

Let hear it for Nick Clegg, liberalism, fox hunting and the Big Society!!!!!

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