Does Sheffield Hallam MP, Clegg, wear clogs or does he prefer Ferragamo, is he one of the peeps?

Noooooooooooooo. Just parachuted in to say, I am the only and original Wilf, and can categorically state that I did not go to Cambridge. Would perhaps have been much more successful if I had

edam:
Actually, there are an awful lot of teachers, creative arts people, university lecturers and public sector workers too! DW and I included! (Now...) But I agree it is one of the most "middle-class" seats you will find anywhere in the north of England - maybe the most apart from Cheshire's Tatton.

WilfandWilma, someone pointed out much earlier in this thread that many Cambridge students became members of all the political organisations in order to be able to attend all the functions - it didn't indicate a particular affiliation, & was not necessarily significant to the individual concerned.

He is 43 (???) after all so this was c 25 years ago. I have almost total non-recall of what I did last week, never mind that long ago...

I do think it is odd that there are people in this world who would find Clegg shady or suspect because he was in a university play, once. It makes my head spin.

Do you remember how they used to say Obama was dodgy because he'd written a book and was an intellectual and a community organiser too. The horror.

I love the bit at the end about how he made an email mistake to some friends - which could therefore make one nervous about his diplomacy skills. LOL.

To go back to an earlier part of the thread, I'm fascinated by NC's assertion that he has no recollection of joining CUCA (Cambridge University Conservative Association). I was at Cambridge at the same time as him and a couple of my friends were members of CUCA. I don't think you could "forget" that you were a member of CUCA. Certainly from my own recollection, they sent out a lot of literature to their members throughout the term, and towards the end of each term their members were constantly canvassed by CUCA hacks who wanted their vote in the termly CUCA elections. I don't really understand how NC could not have remembered this - I certainly do.

Actually I don't really care whether or not he was a member of CUCA, I'm slightly more concerned about his selective amnesia.

Sheffield Hallam is a v. wealthy seat - Northern equivalent of stockbroker belt. All lawyers and accountants.

So what if he is 'posher' than anyone thought he was?

All credit to him that he comes over as a perfectly reasonable 'normal' person.

One has to wonder why Cameron and Osborne don't (to the General Public,if not the Tory voters on Mumsnet), even though they try very hard.

I think they have an air of general entitlement hanging over them, that Clegg doesn't seem to have.

Yes, I'm enjoying this thread.

Claig, the person who heads up the Cabinet is usually a personal political appointee. Usually someone of the same political party and nationality. The other members of the Cabinet have a variety of different roles. Leon Brittan used to joke that he didn't have a single British Conservative in his Cabinet, although I suspect that came with the caveat "apart from the chef de cabinet".

I'm now realising it's all a long time ago and I can't remember all the details. And I was such a geek. Has motherhood fried my brain or is it old age?

We should all follow Clegg shouting,

"I'm not scared!'

lol
we couls sing that 80s song

WE DONT CARE

WE DONT CARE

He lives in a very posh part of Sheffield. It isn't all whippets and black pudding and "ee bah goom" up here.

"real PR" - only if it maintains the link between the MP and the constituency AND doesn't give us party lists. At least my MP, even though it's a very safe seat, bothers to contact his voters, sends us literature spelling out his email address, surgeries and other ways to contact him. The MEPs, elected by PR, are just names of people who would never dare to stand up to the party bosses, and never bother to contact the voters.

Anyway, back to the OP, which is what I came on to say. Of course Nick Clegg wears clogs. He's half Dutch. Boom boom...

What on earth are you trying to insinuate in your post of 12:18:48 claig?

Nick Clegg was already an official working in the European Commission when he was appointed to work for Leon Brittan. He worked in Brittan's private office, his "cabinet", when Brittan was one of the UK's Commissioners. Positions in the cabinets are hotly fought over by ambitious and able Commission staff. The staff appointed have to be able to work well with their Commissioner but they do not have to share their political views. Have you never got on well with anyone you worked for? Have you never had a boss who really rated you and spoke proudly of your ability?