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Politics is broken

Published 16 December 2008

People in this country are governed by processes that feel alien to their lives; by the puerile and archaic pantomime that so often dictates the Commons; by a system that keeps power hoarded in Whitehall.

It’s now twelve months since I became leader of the Liberal Democrats. More than ever it’s clear to me that people in Britain desperately want something different. They are looking for hope, and for change.

It’s no real surprise. Households across the country are facing a tight Christmas and a difficult New Year. It looks like 200 families are going to lose their homes every day in 2009, and a million could lose their jobs.

But the Government still isn’t listening. Labour is forcing us deeper into their downturn, refusing to take responsibility for the mess they have got us in. “Responsibility” is also the new catchphrase for the Conservatives. “Being responsible” is the new “do nothing”.

While energy bills continue to rocket, while private debt continues to spiral, and while more and more small businesses close, the other two parties are back in their corners. Political point scoring is at an all time high. Punch and Judy have put their gloves back on.

I have never tried to hide my despair of Westminster. People in this country are governed by processes that feel totally alien to their lives; by the puerile and archaic pantomime that so often dictates the Commons; by a system that keeps power hoarded up in Whitehall.

Our politics is broken. It isn’t just our economy that’s in tatters, or as the Prime Minister would insist, the global economy that’s the problem. And the source of our woes isn’t that our society is bust - a Conservative mantra I find particularly grating. This country is full of people who support those around them and who care about the communities they live in.

It’s true that we need to reach out to the groups and individuals who are being left behind, and who feel alienated as a result. And it’s true that we now need to rebuild our economy. But we won’t manage either until we overhaul the way we do politics.

That means radically decentralising power, taking the price tag off power, and giving people much more control over their own lives.

A new politics is central to a better future, and to bringing about lasting, positive change. That future rests on investing in a new, green economy; it rests on overhauling childcare and targeting funding to the most disadvantaged children, so that every child has the best start in life.

And it rests on helping families through the difficult days ahead by putting more of their money back in their pockets. That’s why my party have plans to cut taxes for people on low and middle incomes, paid for by closing the loopholes enjoyed by big companies and making the wealthy pay their fair share.

The only way we are going build a fairer, more robust Britain, is through doing things differently. That’s the Liberal Democrat agenda. And that’s what will be keeping me busy for the next twelve months.

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10 comments from readers

Carl Jones
16 December 2008 at 11:43

Nick, political change is futile. The only reason why YOU are leading the Liberal party, is because senior liberals did not want a hung parlialment. They work for forces far higher than politicos, we could call it Freemasonry, Common Purpose or plain SIS recruitement at university..

Blair did a similar thing to labour during his last 18 months. Blair was willing to sink labour, so the NWO could have a totally complient puppet PM. There are two things which saved Brown, they got the wrong plane at LHR last January...BIG COCKUP.LOl and the sacond is David Davis. The NWO can`t bare the thought of a Tory government with a HUGH thorn in its rump like David Davis...how did they miss him at university????

The Liberals, YOU...how much air time/column inches do you get, compared to the main parties? I`d say it was about 5%....so you take 17% of the vote, but only get a fraction of the air time. Is this not a MAJOR CONSPIRACY, considering just how PISSED OFF the people of this country are????

We face civil unrest like we have never known. Jacqui has everything undercontrol, she plans mass tasering of rioters. They claim the Greek riots are about a 15 year old boy, more likely the police were asked to provide an excuse. There are economic riots in France, but no significat MSM reporting.LOL

In the US, they are returning troops back to the US, making plans for public deplyment. The president already has the power to deploy military forces on US streets and overide all state governments. They already have the mass internment camps ready and with such a well armed public, it could get nasty, maybe the breakup of the United States!! To give you an idea of how bad the US economy is, the car makers are offering "buy one, get the same model FREE" and there are still no buyers.LOL

Nick, its time for you to shoot from the hip, breakaway from polite political convention, stop arguing in the NWO box, and BTW, watch your back, don`t go walking on bens, or in the woods.LOL

theunperson
16 December 2008 at 16:48

Carl Jones is spot on about the media bias agianst the Lib-Dems. The only real exeption to this is Vince Cable though not because he is the parties treasury spokesman but because he is an economist. All the while the BBC is accused of a liberal bias despite the fact that the right wing Melanie Phillips is on Question Times regular rotation yet lefties like Johann Hari rarely get a look in.

BluePorcupine
16 December 2008 at 21:12

"I have never tried to hide my despair of Westminster."

So walk out of PMQs tomorrow, Nick. Go on, you know you want to.

gnuneo
16 December 2008 at 22:18

yes, the Lib-Dems are under-represented in the media, but then again, what actually does Cleggy say that is any different from the Tories or NuLabour?

look at his article - the vast majority is him attempting to say "he shares our pain" at the tragedy that is UK political life, and then he goes on to say what he would do... he would drop taxes.

that apparently is enough to distinguish Clegg from Camoron or Brown, at least in his own mind.

you're probably (or at least possibly) not a 'bad person' Clegg, you're just out of your league with the current crises facing the UK, and that comes across every time you open your mouth - you or your deputy shadow.

you have brought nothing to the Lib-Dems except the 'ability', in a time when both the Govt and Opposition are deeply unpopular, to keep Lib-Dem electability stable - i would imagine most Lib-Dems would have wanted to increase it. But when you are so completely undistinguishable from the Tory leader, in manner, opinions, policies and speeches, then you are clearly seen as what you are - entirely out of touch, uncaring about the struggles of normal Britons, a bland-faced professional politician, who regards political power as 'natural' due to the golden spoon you had at birth.

sorry, that's just the way it is. No personal offence intended.

William
16 December 2008 at 22:42

I agree with Carl, though I am still an optimist and so hope that it is not too lafe. If Nick really wants to change British Politics, he should take a leaf out of Mr Obama's political campaign. Target the disgrunted citizens across the land through Internet forums & don't publicise this across the media as brownie points as the other trollops do.

BluePorcupine
16 December 2008 at 23:28

William - if you add Clegg as a friend on Facebook, he writes a note as a mini-consultation session every couple of weeks on a different subject.

Also (although unofficial):

http://www.libdemvoice.org

sweety
17 December 2008 at 02:30

BBC is accused of a liberal bias despite the fact that the right wing Melanie Phillips is on Question Times regular rotation

Come on give us break! The BBC themselves, admit they cannot find enough right wing bigots for this programme, sorry Melanie you do take a lot of flack, but a plethora of left wing bigots are instantly available at a discount.

I used to love that little tiger the History Man on the Moral Maze,BBC.R4 but he went on to discourse o and on, about the Glorious Revolution, on TV!

The funniest thing I ever heard was when he used the word bemused in front of Bernie, now deceased,the corrupt, half educated, non entity the nearest thing,the BBC could find at the time. The little tiger instantly flashed back, "the word is, bemused not amused and you must learn the language of your adoptive people or you will constantly encounter misundertanding". Thoroughly rivetting stuff!

gez pearce
17 December 2008 at 17:22

Sweety

“The funniest thing I ever heard was when he used the word bemused in front of Bernie now deceased, the corrupt, half educated non entity the nearest thing the BBC could find at the time. The little tiger instantly flashed back "the word is bemused not amused and you must learn the language of your adoptive people or you will constantly encounter misunderstanding. Thoroughly rivetting stuff!”

I presume you mean David Starkey, who is a very fine historian. Talking of the uneducated, riveting has the one r not two and it is misunderstanding

By the way you sound like you could try for the bigot on question time.

sweety
19 December 2008 at 02:34

I presume you mean David Starkey, who is a very fine historian

David Starkey, is it Professor now (?) is more than a fine historian, he is a rare thing here, he is also an original thinker!

Unfortunately, he was considered to be by the usual suspects the epitome of a right wing bigot on all matters except homosexuality. Dont they do irrrony in your house!

gez pearce
23 December 2008 at 11:39

Starkey is not an original thinker.

His biographies of Elizabeth and Henry VIII are good but not original in thought; in fact his prose is very conventional. Not in the same mould as say Corelli Barnett or AJP Taylor.

Just because he reinforces your prejudices does not prove his thoughts are original. Only in your narrow mindset.

By the way Sweety, you sound like a gentleman whose girlfriend has run off with a West Indian. You have just not got over it yet, you poor lost soul.

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About the writer

Nick Clegg is leader of the Liberal Democrats and MP for Sheffield Hallam. Clegg initially trained as a journalist before working as a development and trade expert in the EU. He was elected as MEP for the East Midlands in 1999, stood down in 2004, lectured at Sheffield and Cambridge universities, and was elected to the UK parliament in 2005.