to think Nick Clegg has sunk to new lows during this interview?

[NotFromConcentrate]

Jeremy Vine has just played the audio of Nick Clegg's election campaign video during which he categorically stated no more broken promises. He then went on to outline the lengths Clegg went to to drive home his promise not to allow the raising of tuition fees.

Asked to explain himself, Nick Clegg said (petulantly) "Well, we didn't win". So basically he's saying "Thanks for the votes, suckers, but I'm not in Number 10 therefore you can whistle for whtever crap I promised"

Apologes for the lack of coherence, but I am still spitting feathers!

P.S. Be gentle; this is my first AIBU (I think!)

Oh good grief, it gets worse. A Lib Dem voter has just rung in to ask why to earth she should vote for them again following his whole debacle.

His response? "I just wish more of you had voted and then we wouldn't have ended up in a coalition" (I'm paraphrasing slighty, but it's more or less word for word)

I'm half listening, but he's not comming across well IMO.

Well he didn't win

So he can't impose promises that most of us did not vote for..

But I can see why LD votes would be pissed off.

My prediction - LD will fall apart and fall into two camps - some will go to the Tories and some will stay in a smaller LD party.

I accept that he didn't win, but surely if you have such strong principles you shouldn't sail them down the river because doing so would put you in a better position career-wise?

I don't understand why they think it is an argument to say "they will be paying less per month than previously"........and omit to say "for much much longer"

The students will be paying more because it costs more. What's not to get?

Well, he didn't win. It's true.

And this "no upfront fees" thing is totally irrelevant. It makes no difference when you take the loan, you still don't pay it back until threshold is reached

It's such a shit argument

I know, TrillianAstra, but surely we should expect more form our Deputy Prime Minister than a petulant, childish response (because that is exactly how he came across)by way of explanation of him abandoning not only his own principles but one of the key, defining principles of his party?

They don't really have any principles though.

The Tories have done a beautiful job on them. They handed them just enough in terms of photo ops and posts to leave them permanantly tainted. I don't think the Tories would lose many votes (compared to the last election) if an election were called tomorrow. The Lib Dems would struggle to hold onto 1 seat.

Does anyone believe that the LD are not finished come the next election?

He says he is dealing with the criticism by 'developing a thick skin.'

Perhaps, instead of simply beating away and ignoring what people say with his 'thick skin', he should stop being a lying duplicitous disingenuous penis and get some principles.

I don't get it though

afaik there's a very right wing coalition in the Netherlands, the smaller part being led by that fucking-awful-man-with-hair-who-is-really-really-racist (name escapes me)

I read somewhere that he is using his party's unusual (and hopefully temporary) position of power to force the bigger part of the coalition to do what he wants

aren't the Lib Dems in the same position, and assuming that, why aren't they giving it "yes, we are the fucking kingmakers- so do what we want for a change"- rather than meeky going along with all this Tory stuff?

as for "we didn't win"- well, iirc, nobody "won", did they? that's why they're in that position now...

It's hard to see what difference the LDs are making to Tory party policies. Clegg must be staking everything on just hanging in there until the ballot on voter reform next year. In the past I would have voted in favour of this but I'm so pissed off with the LD's disappearing up the arse of the Tories that I'm not sure I can bring myself to endorse any changes.

"he should stop being a lying duplicitous disingenuous penis and get some principles."

Round of applause for LadyBlaBlah!

I guess it was always very easy for them to have policies on whatever they wanted because they were never going to get into (sole) power. Although I do think it's unreasonable to expect that as a minority coalition party they will have much say at all

I think that Nick Clegg is under the illusion that people give a shit about voting reform. And that when we get a referendum all his integrity will suddenly be re-established.

I see him being sorely disappointed.

He cant deliver all his promises, because he as no real power. Hes the weaker player in a coalition.

What part of this are people failing to understand? The LibDems didnt win the election, the Tories did.

Vote Labour next time if you are unhappy.

I think those who did give a shit about votng reform are likely to have become distracted by the utter travesty that is our ConDem government.

But I'm surmising...

ccpccp there is, AFAIK, nothing to stop him voting against Tory proposals and making it clear that he is completely against them.

And thanks for the voting advice, but I'm already there.

Yes, to say he didn't agree with the proposals would be quite simple really. He just says it and votes accordingly. No big deal. I don't understand what part of this you are failing to understand ccpccp?

Oh, and just to clarify ccpccp, the Tories didn't win the election either, which is why there is a coalition government. Just so you know of course.

I genuinely don't know the answer to this one as I don't know how it works, but if all the Libdems vote against a motion does that mean it wouldn't get in? If so there would be like a permanent stalemate wouldn't there?

Well I say 'what part of this are people failing to understand' but some understand very well.

This controlled hysteria has Labour written all over it. Break the coalition, break the government.

Did labour ever go back on any of their promises? Hell yes they did, many times, much worse, and they werent in any kind of coalition.

They've shot themselves in the foot - I doubt anyone will ever vote LD again.

They won the election, but didnt have enough to form a majority government.

Still won it I'm afraid.

Note - they got a landslide in England. Roll on Scottish independance