Should Clegg Stand Down As Party Leader?

Didn't the lib dems sign a pledge to vote against a rise in tuition fees, regardless of the government?

Sounds like they lied to me.

IMO - given the 2010 election results and their policy towards PR - the Libdem's had no choice but to form a coalition government.

And, as the Tories were the party with the most seats - they had to be the first choice.

Whether Nick Clegg has 'played his hand' well is debatable, but if he holds on (and I think he will) there is still time.

You're quite right cat64, but our culture is simpy not used to the realities of coalition government. We're used to seeing one party in charge and then holding them to the letter of their manifesto promises. If two parties with different priorities share power, it stands to reason that both of them can't fulfil all their manifesto pledges. Compromise is the order of the day. I think LD voters had hoped that their team would be far more robust at watering down the less popular strategic decisions or refusing to support them all together. I also think that the LD members of the cabinet, being confronted with the details of the economic mess, have felt compelled to support measures they would normally reject.

agreed, huddspur. Paddy Ashdown's interview in the Guardian earlier set the tone - in it for the long haul, finish what we've started etc. (here (I like the bit about presiding over a party represented by an asterisk).

No Clegg resigning as party leader would mean the end of the coalition and a general election not shortly after which with the current poll ratings would probably be a very bad thing. What they need to do is to carry on with the coalition and see the country out of its current predicament and hopefully that will lead to further electoral success.

LFN, Farron is the only choice, he is pretty good on TV (which is important in today's media society) and he is not contaminated and compromised by association with the Tory filth.

A win, win for me tonight, either AV or the begining of the end of the coalition.

If Clegg does stand down, good people to take over would be Danny Alexander or Jeremy Browne if the Lib Dems want to stay "liberal". If they want to be Labour-lite, then it has to be Tim Farron I guess.

Huhne would be a disaster for the Lib Dems. Nobody I know interested in politics likes him - not even Lib Dems from either the SDP wing or the Orange book wing. He is an opportunistic, sanctimonious gasbag who dumped his wife in a matter of minutes to save his career.

Why should Clegg step down?

Yes, he lied about tuition fees, and he is probably going to lose on AV - but governments are unpopular in mid-term.

But the Lib Dems only chance is if the coalition agreement succeeds - that means starting to tackle the appalling Labour economic legacy, reforming public services, cutting taxes, and reforming welfare. Those are important things.

Constitutional tinkering is important only to hardcore Lib Dems - no-one else cares. If they concentrate on real issues, then they have a good chance of recovering (non-student) votes before the next general election.

re. the distancing, though - that is going to happen anyway (has been happening for the last month or so).

Swedes2, this was Huhne's last-ditch attempt at leadership positioning, but he's done himself zero favours within the party in the way he's gone about it and it's left him in a worse position than before.

Basically, Huhne knows that if Clegg stays (and he will do) then Huhne has lost his chance for ever because it'll be Farron next.

I think Dem Liberals are now washed up for the next decade or so. Clegg standing down or regaining a few principles would make no difference.

Chil - Huhne isn't woolly, he's ambitious and strategy-obsessed, whereas Clegg is much more of a policy wonk first and foremost, i.e. do what you think is the right thing policy-wise and worry about the opinion polls later.

Depends on what the party wants. But if I was a member, I think I'd think about it pretty seriously.

clegg a tory?- he comes across to me as a champagne socialist.

I think Clegg is probably a Tory at heart, but when he was at Westminster he probably thought it would be a bit cool and edgy and different to claim to be Lib Dem. Like fancying the brunette in Abba.

Clegg never had 'stature'. He was the new kid on the block, relatively inexperienced at party politics and his best assets were that he had popular appeal with randy wobbly old ladies the viewing public, and hadn't been involved in a sex scandal. Cable and Campbell had stature but Campbell fell at the first for being too old and Cable didn't seem to want the top job. Hughes had the awkward private life. Huhne is woolly. Alexander might be smart enough to wriggle through if he survives the coalition

If he were to step down or be made to step down and therefore jeopardise the coalition as a result, this would weaken all the arguments we've heard recently on the benefits of (AV leading to) PR and the consensus, 'grown-up' government style that goes with it. If the LibDems bollocks up their first real shot at government by putting leadership issues above the national interest they would never recover.