Do you think Clegg feels used by Cameron?

[sundayrose10]

I wonder how if feels. He must know most people see him as an epic failure. Do you think he feels utterly screwed by Cameron?

He knew what he was potentially getting into - he took a calculated risk. I don't think many people anticipated the severity of the cuts, but he knew cuts would be happening and he must have been able to predict some LD reaction to joining forces with the Tories.

poor clegg hopefully his enormous politician's ego will cushion him from the worst of the damage

He must have anticipated what was to come. Everyone said before the last election that whoever won would have to bring in policies so unpopular that they risked political exile for a generation. He could have sided with the Labour party but, according to Lord Ashdown on Question Time last night, when that was suggested, the answer came back very firmly 'no thanks, we'd rather be in Opposition' (see above as to why). He could have made the Conservatives go it alone and be accused of sinking the country into an ungovernable mess just to play party politics. Or he could row in with the Conservatives, try to get the best deal possible and risk being unpopular.

I don't think he got the best deal possible because he and his team succumbed to media pressure to get things sorted out quickly. But I'm not sure 'used' is the right adjective for what has happened since. Where he will be unhappy, however, is over the AV campaign. He will definitely not see that as a fair fight.

I remember at the time hearing something along the lines of the Germans etc being amazed at how quickly the coalition agreement came into play - they're used to it taking weeks and weeks. Basically Clegg had a few days to make the terms and conditions he wanted - I bet he wishes now that the negotiations had had more time.

I don't see how he can see it like that.
They've done the referendum, they gave him a shiny pencil case and a key to the executive bogs.
It's the Lib voters he sold down the swanee himself who have brought about his downfall......I just want to know if he'll go. Or cling to the parapet crying "I want to stay and play with the big boys" while George and Dave have a crafty fag by the bikesheds and pretend not to hear his cries for help.

I think he is so far up his own arse he cant or wont see what the general public think of him!

I hope so, & I hope it bloody well hurts.

That's the beginning of the end for the monkey - time to stick it to the organ grinder now...

Clegg is a combination of whipping boy and a human shield. Last may was as good as it got for Clegg and the Orange bookers it's all downhill for them from now on, the problem is they are dragging the left wing of the party down with them.

Whipping boy, scapegoat, human shield. You can't say Clegg's not good for something.

I reckon Dave knew exactly what he was doing in allowing the AV referendum to happen now, when Clegg and the LibDems have such little support.

What Nick Clegg needs to do is listen to his party. Many LDs at grass roots are equally unhappy with what is going on. I'm not sure that leaving the Tories own their own would make it worse. On their own they had no majority. I am LD and am seriously questionning whether to remain so. I know I am not alone.