to be irritated by this Nick Clegg love-in?

[gramercy]

I can't believe some of the comments I've read on here.

Somehow NC must be above reproach; it doesn't matter if there are expenses questions, donor questions, any questions. And heaven forfend that he is quizzed on policy. How very dare anyone challenge him? It would be soooo mean.

David Cameron is on the receiving end of comments on here about his poshness, but NC's privileged background is OK. Likewise his children attending a favoured Catholic primary school (because his wife is a Catholic - he isn't and professes atheism) - that's fine. But if DC sends his children to a nice faith school - that's bad. (Both as bad as each other, there, imo.)

If people support NC's "fairness" he keeps banging on about, then at least be fair in challenging him as well!

Oh no Swedes, the three largest parties more than enough, thank you.

"I'm not sure that the love-in is any worse than some Tories' foot-stamping belief that the poll changes aren't fair because it is their turn to dick around in the ministerial limos"

ROFL! Oh yes

'Snot fair. It's our turn....

I don't have the right to vote in the UK so I didn't bother listening to the debates but Nick Clegg did surprise a few people I have heard. Does anyone think they really have a chance of getting in? What is the consensus of opinion on MN (as this is apparently the MN Election )?

I did actually hear Nick Clegg being interviewed on Flemish radio speaking in Dutch (his mother's Dutch) and was very impressed. If I could vote, I think I'd vote for him on that alone !

YANBU, the prospect of joining the Euro is terrifying - you have to remember that by joining the Euro we would give up soverignty on setting Interest Rates etc. and also it would cause MASSIVE inflation.

I once looked in to helping the Lib Dems when I was at uni, and was absolutely shocked by some of their campaigning tactics which were very underhand and negative - compltely the opposite to how they try and present themselves. That, and the fact that they want to give prisoners the vote (I mean seriously - does Ian Huntley deserve a vote?) means that they won't be getting my vote and this sudden Lib Dem love in, based on policies which were designed on the basis that they would never have to be implemented becuase they wouldn't get in really makes me dispair at how stupid the public can be.

No, YANBU, though I object from the left. I've seen what Lib Dems are like in local government and I don't believe a word they say. They're trying to claim a campaign against local hospital A&E closure as their own and pretend they'll stop it if they take over my council - even though they're already in control in the borough where the hospital is situated, and the largest party in the other borough nearest to the hospital.

Thre have been threads on here for tories and for lib dems

Pray, why shouldn't lib dems be allowed a similar love fest?

Nah, problem is that after targeting each other the two big parties ahve suddently relaised they have 2.5 weeks to make someone else look ruvbbish and are having to go at it 300%

Which in turn makes them look like sleaze-over-politics parties.

but then I ak from Somerset, LD are real to me and have been for years, it's just everyone else coming to the party very late indeed (am just hoping they have brought plewnty of wine and nibbles )

You see Elkie, Dh loved having a LD MP

Which actually takes me back to a very early point- that we shouldn't all be staring at the leasders but looking locally at opur options. Vote for a leader and you may well get a prat representing you.

I've had to rely on MP and AM in the last few years for a bit of help, it was the LD AM that stood out, the MP was shite but I had voted for him (not LD). Made me think a bit more about how I scrutinise the local rep compared to national leader.

i think I must be obnoxious

i read my thing and I don't think it's obnoxiously rude, just a bit arms foldy oh yes oh yes and what about this then

so perhaps that means I am obnoxious since I can't see it

as you were

hah!

I have voted LD a few times peachy. Usually Labour I must admit. Anything to try to stop the inevitable tory MP This time I am just desperately hoping the BNP lose their deposit.

oh dear

they're on to me

Ah Prinny you wouldn't like the Greens then

I liked their social policy so thought i'd have a closer look- pulled out rapidly after being included on their email list and seeing all teh nasty in fighting - even DH expressed shock!

I'm not saying there shouldn't be "LD threads", just that it's entirely reasonable to find gushing about Nick Clegg irritating. But I don't actually like any of them. I wanted John McDonnell to challenge Brown for leadership of the LP. Ironically, it now seems to me that anyone running against Brown for the leadership in 2007 would have actually done GB a huge favour, as he would have the credibility of being elected as leader.

Orm I see your lot are fighting on the news about the BNP tosser candidate then?

Dad stood for lib dems years ago just to fill a gap, was quite terrifie4d when he almost got into council PMSL- trouble with being part of such an old local family I guess! Dad had been too shy even to ahve his pic taken PMSL

And YY to your local tory! Mum says he ahs helped a bit with their pension (you know, the wholes Wills / Bordens collapse thing? APrents ahd pensions in both of them ) but overall will be steering well clear! I had a brief encounter when he took over from last bod- I ahd eczma on my hands and New One came running down the Huigh Street to sahke hands with me (must have been a really slow day), I shook my ehad and went to explain and Older One made a loud comment about come away from these really rude people.

But tehn parents were Tory Activists > in the seventies until they encountered him so says a lot.

I don't get this whole Euro referendum = Nick Clegg and Lib Dem are dangerous fools argument.

If I'm understanding the article sloaneypony linked to correctly, it's saying that the Liberal Democrats are bad because they are in favour of Britain adopting the Euro. This is bad because the Euro is bad. The Euro is bad because if Britain adopts it then we won't be able to make decisions on economic policy without having to take into account the impact it will have on the other members of the single currency.

Well, fuck me, we've done a wonderful job with our independent economy in recent years haven't we? Perhaps if we'd taken into account the effect our economic policies would have on the rest of europe, or even on our own long term economic viability, then we and everyone else might not be in such a mess now. The article witters on about how much better off we've survived the recession than other European countries but this simply isn't true or if it is 'true' then it's only down to a clever interpretation of statistics. In fact, we're one of the last countries in Europe to come out of the recession and it's by no means certain that we're going to stay out of it.

Perhaps if we had to consider the rest of Europe we might have to start adopting some of their ways. We might move away from our obsession with individual ownership of property. Maybe we'd recognise that higher taxation can be to everyone's benefit. State ownership of energy and transport infrastructures might be reintroduced.

The article also thinks the Euro is bad because we might end up having to help support weaker economies amongst the other member states. Why's that automatically bad? Maybe it would help to address the immigration problem? Maybe it's just okay for Britain to share some of its wealth because keeping all its wealth to itself is part of what causes other countries to be skint in the first place (although obviously Greece is just in trouble because they made the Olympics into too much of a party). It works both ways too, when our economy collapses again after our own Olympics or when the next housing bubble burst we're going to need the same kind of help.

Whatever. I actually couldn't care less what the Lib Dem policy on the Euro is because my interest in them winning is down to the fact that they're neither Labouratory or Conservabour. This past week has been the first time I've ever felt that there's been a real possibility of genuine political change (and I voted for Labour in the 1997 election)

Anyway, I just bumped into Dermot O'Leary buying apples in Waitrose. He's bigger in real life but still wears clothes that are far too small for him.

Elkie- I kinda agree, whilst as a person I actually quite like GB, I think he's probably OK as MP's go, I don't think he is foing his aprty any favours as a leader. I suspect he's a bit like me: if you put me behind the scenes I am good, put me on the hot spot and I can collapse an entire support system in ten minutes before hiding behind the enarest solid obnject and refusing to come out

Some people are made for the spotlight, some are not. I am not. Sadly really, 2 aprties have asked me to stand in the last 2 years but I am just too shy.

I just read about that peachy. It's shameful that she's even here

'Why's that automatically bad? Maybe it would help to address the immigration problem?

very valid point

On a simialr thread recently someone was pro stopping all international support, and I personally think that is the worst thing to do wrt to immigration. the nest way to ensure people don't want to come here, lehgally or otherwise, is to ensure people have decent existences in the first palce. Granted what we can do is very limited indeed, but we certainly have the power to worsen it by removing what we already are doing.

Orm do you think she'll get much suppport? The local one gets 6% in a very multicultural area which isn't too abd really, but your place doesn't half have the social criteria for a BNP constituency doesn't it? Same old abttle I was fighting when we moved here in fact (do you know not one of my charity volunteers would work with immigrants> reason I came to study what I did, was going to return and teach RE before everything went a bit skwey with the boys)

Everyone keeps saying its because we all love an underdog

I disagree. He just came across as the best of a bad bunch. There is nothing to like about DC and GB looks like that bloke who lives down the road whose house is all steamed up with various broken down rusty cars and caravans in his drive.

Nick Clegg just appeared to be likeable, nothing more grandiose. He won't win though.

also true, ladyblahblah. although personally i was meaning now that they're really attacking him, he's coming across with the underdog vibe.

I don't know peachy. I hope not. There are a lot of people from Poland and Lithuania now. Bridgwater streets ring to the sound of foreign tongues And for the most part they are welcomed as far as I can see but you do here the odd comment. Maybe I don't mix in the right circles but I don't think I know anyone who would vote BNP. Who knows...

Dad is one of a very few UK born employees where he works and he really likes working there but he does tell me about teh comments some of his amtes get .

I ahve had big problems with my best mate actually as she constantly telephones me to talk about the influx of immigrants to her village (when In lived there we had one Asian lady who agve up trying to fit in and emigarted, can't see it's changed that much tbh) and I know she and her DH are really pro BNP. We've ahd to make a pact enver to discuss the topic again actually, but I think the Xenophobia is perhaps particularly bad as it is really a first generation of immigrants to the area IYSWIM? A great deal of the local schools just didn't ahve anyone from any otehr backgrounds until very recently.

As always, you can rely on The Daily Mash to come up with the best take

www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/politics-headlines/clegg-to--clean-up-politics-using-his-personal-ba nk-account-201004222665/

Actually, abride has made a brilliant suggestion.

Why don't they just get all the leaders to dress in sparkly costumes, sing and dance and then we vote for them on that? Much easier. Less time spent reading policies is more time spent eating cake.