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Original poster

Why don't people like Nick Clegg

86 replies

CalmShambala · 10/06/2017 09:14

I know there is a thread on him already but not sure that OP will like me hijacking hers.

Why don't people like Nick Clegg?

I am not a Lib Demer so wouldn't vote for them, but I actually quite like him. He seemed quite honest and level headed to me, not on a power trip like most of the other MPs. I know he renegaded on uni fees but when it comes to lying through your arse and U turns, he seems to be better than the others.

What have I missed. I felt really sorry for him at the election.

OP posts:
ASDismynormality · 10/06/2017 09:15

I feel sorry for him too but I can't forgive him for going I to a coalition with the conservatives.

YogiYoni · 10/06/2017 09:18

I don't understand this either. I think he was put in an awful situation with the coalition and did as well as could be hoped. Tim Farron worded this really well yesterday. I can't remember the exact quote but something like: Teresa May did the opposite of Nick Clegg by putting her political ambitions ahead of the good of the country.

LIZS · 10/06/2017 09:18

He's a career politician who lacked the confidence to insist on his policies and charisma to lead with authority. He might be a nice bloke but out of his depth.

FannyWisdom · 10/06/2017 09:20

As bad burnt as scalded.

I'm not a lib dem supporter but I do think if Cleggy had missed the chance for Government he would be punished too.
As a local MP he wasn't as visible after LD lost their seats and before that he was considered a galavanter (down south too much)

He needs a puppy.

purits · 10/06/2017 09:23

I know he renegaded on uni fees but ...

But nothing. That little U-turn cost my family £24,000 plus interest at 6%. Do you expect me to forgive him (or the Tories) for that?

Mycutiemarkisrubbish · 10/06/2017 09:31

I liked him. Yes, he was a career politician but he seemed a decent one.

He was stuck between a rock and a hard place with the coalition - he's been rammed for doing it, but he would have been damned if he hadn't done it too.

They were the junior party in the coalition and unfortunately they lost the battle on some of their key policies. We don't know the wrangling that went on behind the scenes, but they did have an effect on dampening Tory policies. The party is paying for it now, but I'm not sure what else they could have done.

gentleshouting · 10/06/2017 11:15

If you actually listen to what his options were on tuition fees once they got into the coalition he got students the best deal he could. It's a bit naïve to think they could get through every policy with 20% of the power.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 10/06/2017 11:19

Totally agree gentle. I think it's pathetic the way people haven't forgiven him for his performance in government. He did what he could.

alltouchedout · 10/06/2017 11:20

Went into coalition with the Tories.
Was deputy PM in an austerity government that cut services and benefits and caused immense suffering.
Campaigned on getting shot of tuition fees. Did not get shot of tuition fees.
Came across as caring more about a chance of power than sticking to his party's values.

It'd a bit unfair as the main point of centrist third parties is to make coalitions possible without anyone needing to rely on extremist parties to be propped up. But I say that as a massive hypocrite because I hated them for that coalition and I wanted to see them suffer according.

MrsJayy · 10/06/2017 11:20

He basically sold out backtracked on the uni fees promise when he was in condems and that was 1 of the main reasons voters voted for him he really is a weak person but a career politician so he just wants to advance people can never forgive him for that. I stopped voting libdem because of Nick.

MightyMcMe · 10/06/2017 11:23

Apparently his constituency area changed this time. A large area was added that was a strongly labour. So he didn't stand a chance.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 10/06/2017 11:29

Also mighty as he is in Sheffield Hallam I imagine the student vote was huge against him.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 10/06/2017 11:30

....in that they were voting heavily for Labour because of the free tuition Corbyn bribed them with.

NataliaOsipova · 10/06/2017 11:32

Ok. For those of you who think he shouldn't have gone into coalition with the Conservatives, what should they have done? Left the country with a minority government, effectively unable to govern? Or accept that the Conservative party won by far the largest number of seats (I think "will of the people" is the stupid phrase du jour) and try to allow the country to function while getting a bit of the Lib Dem agenda through. They couldn't implement all of it because they didn't win!

Arguably, they picked the wrong "totemic policy" in the STV referendum, but that's the biggest criticism I can level. I think history will judge Clegg more kindly than he's judged now.

LillianGish · 10/06/2017 11:33

He sold his soul and his party's principles for a chance to be deputy prime minister. He should never have got into bed with the Tories - I like the man, I agree with his views which is why I could never for the life of me understand why he did what he did. He should have said, as other parties are saying now, we will look at each vote on a case by case basis - we may support you on some things, but you can't count on us for everything. The tuition fees thing was suicide. He had his moment in the sun (or the rose garden), but in doing so destroyed his party. That's why people don't like him.

NataliaOsipova · 10/06/2017 11:33

....in that they were voting heavily for Labour because of the free tuition Corbyn bribed them with.

Which - and let's not be naive about this - is just one big bung to the middle classes. Paid for by the poor as well.

Katz · 10/06/2017 11:38

The Hallam constituency hasn't changed since 2010 - so no extra labour voters added.

Nick Clegg's voting record hasn't been great since the 2015 election has not been good. Think I read it was around 30%.

LooksBetterWithAFilter · 10/06/2017 11:39

What Lillian said mostly. He was far more interested in getting the deputy pm job than he did about sticking to his principles. He may have negotiated the best deal for students he could at the time he should have been far stronger and far more vocal about the Tory policies he opposed and far far stronger on the tuition fees. He really shot himself in the foot going into that coalition.

moutonfou · 10/06/2017 11:39

He had one flagship policy - abolish tuition fees - and didn't just not achieve it (which would have been understandable given it was a coalition), but allowed the Tories to TRIPLE fees.

It's akin to Labour getting into government and then privatising the NHS.

I truly like Nick Clegg as a person, but how could you ever trust someone like that politically again?

Katz · 10/06/2017 11:39

Also the student vote is much bigger is Sheffield central. I think only one student hall is in Hallam and the student housing has moved over the past few years. Old student houses are now family houses.

AllTheWittyNamesAreGone · 10/06/2017 11:41

I like Nick Clegg as a person but I don't think he should be in charge of anything

DropZoneOne · 10/06/2017 11:43

He shouldn't have gone into coalition, he'd set out his parties stall on tuition fees which gained a lot of support and should have stayed in a position that allowed his MPs to vote against that policy. The free school meals debacle didn't help - lovely idea but costly in practice, I'd rather those funds went on teachers than meals for families who can afford to pay.

He lost the trust of the public and his party have paid for it since.

Badbadbunny · 10/06/2017 11:48

Some of the tax changes he insisted on were pretty ridiculous. Such as the wholly unfair removal of child benefit for either parent earning over £50k, but no loss for two parents earning under £50k. Plenty of others too which seemed to have been worked out on the back of a fag packet whilst under the influence.

LillianGish · 10/06/2017 11:52

Personally I think it's a shame, he was a good figurehead for the party which was slowly making gains. Had he bided his time and resisted the lure and glamour of being deputy PM the Lib Dems could have played a big part in opposing Brexit with more MPs in the chamber and the prospect of making more gains by offering a real alternative if more were elected. Who wouldn't believe anything a Lib Dem promises now? As a previous poster put it so well, it is like the Labour Party getting into power and privatising the NHS. They have a massive hill to climb - he has set them back years. He only himself to blame though - brought down by hubris just like Cameron was and May is about to be.

Fortheloveofscience · 10/06/2017 11:53

I don't know, there's no other politician I'd rather see as PM and I'm gutted he lost his seat. He sacrificed his party for the good of the country and people won't forgive him for it.

He had no choice but to agree to the tuition fees deal as the minority party, but because of him and the other LD MP's Tory damage in 2010-2015 was restricted.