I didn't think I could loathe Clegg anymore than I did but after seing his ever so earnest apology I find I do.
There's no need to apologise for loathing Nick Clegg......it's quite normal.
How do you think i feel - the loathsome git has my surname!
What, your surname is Stinky-Bumface-Judas too?
What are the odds?
It would be easier to live down!
Got charity mugged a couple of months ago for Shelter, when giving my name to the young lady she replied "what, like the Deputy PM?" i could have cheerfully throttled her at that point..
i could have cheerfully throttled her at that point
She was a Chugger, so it would have been seen as a mercy killing and you've have got off lightly!
what a patronising **** he is.
It was for a charity i have a lot of time for so was willing to sign up for a small monthly amount.
Still hate that smug, smarmy two-faced swine though and the worst thing is, all people born with that name are pretty much related to each other even though it does go all the way back to a saxon hamlet just outside of Rochdale.
Not bad really, 1000yrs later and i've managed to move 4 miles down the road!
he most definitely is a giant tool.
he also is trying to get pally with labour (please mr milibland can we form a coalition PLEEESE!! 😡
he most definitely is a giant tool.
he also is trying to get pally with labour (please mr milibland can we form a coalition PLEEESE!!
He's a dead man walking it's just a matter of when imo
It's fine the Business Secretary cleared it all up on Newsnight with Paxman last night. And remember it was a collective decision, but he was sceptical, but still responsible because pledges differ from manifestos when they are unaffordable but supportable and would be repeated, never again.......oh, sorry......trust us, no me, no us, won't happen again until the next time when we seek power with the Tories, sorry Labour....oh forget it....
....sorry!
Excellent!!
Gareth Malone, X Factor winners, move over. Your time has gone.....here's a new number one single!!!
Must be great software - will this become like the Hitler spoofs?
Oh so you're sorry now that you've seen your poll ratings are you?
Do you intend to actually do anything, other than issue a pathetic apology, to rectify the situation?
No?
Then you're still a **** who's sold his soul, betrayed everyone who voted for you, and is going to see his party wiped out at the next election.
Close the door on your way out, there's a good chap
That's right Mr Clegg - it's easy to make fanciful promises when you've no chance of running the country - then oops, oh shit, you find yourself in charge (well sort off!*) and reality hits home.
*in charge of the Tea Trolley.
teamhurtmore - it was pretty poor, wasn't it. And Paxo wasn;t even in full attack mode..!
To paraphrase the Thick of It, Vince took a s--t with his trousers still on.
Biggest problem in all of this, is that the decision to try to distance themselves from the Tories has utterly backfired on the LibDems. They've been far too wet in the face of the blistering counter-briefing conducted by almost all of the the Conservative party (especially the more rabid back-benchers). Sure, the electorate have been duped by it, but where does that leave Cleggers - resign and the party's f---ed; stay and the party's f---ed.
And Vince has just talked himself out of the job.
Anyway, who thinks Andy Burnham's long game for Labour leader is going quite nicely?
"NONSENSE ON STILTS
Now let me get that straight. Nick Clegg isn’t apologising for his policies – in fact, he isn’t even apologising for breaking his promise. He is apologising for having made a promise, and is promising (yes, promising) not to make promises again. If you’re confused, don’t worry – so is everybody else, including Clegg himself."
I bet Paxo couldn't believe what was happening in front of his eyes. The In the Thick of It analogy sums it up. You could almost see Cables future evaporating in front of him, hence the painful squirming. I missed the opening of Full Metal Jacket just to watch that. A bit like watching someone else's dental surgery!!
Of course, that was then followed by the reality of when real austerity cuts kick in. Imagine being in number 10 when that actually happens. Playing a long game is probably the smartest political game in town right now - not that this helps the rest of us!
Everyone knows (or should know) that political promises are inherently rubbish anyway. You can't promise the kind of stuff they do, because in reality you have to be pragmatic.
I fully understand why Lib Dems did what they did. It's clear that they had to give up some promises to get other things done. It's a coalition, or had you forgotten that? Hardly fair to hold them to pledges that were made on the basis of forming a government themselves.
They simply were not in a position to follow through on tuition fees. It was impossible.
I fully understand why Lib Dems did what they did. It's clear that they had to give up some promises to get other things done. It's a coalition, or had you forgotten that? Hardly fair to hold them to pledges that were made on the basis of forming a government themselves.
All of which tells us that their promise was empty gesture politics. If they cared that much, they would've made it a condition of forming a coalition.
If they had any principles they would have bailed out long ago, truth is they are all alike, we can run capitalism better than them.......
None of them have much control, its only if you want to sweeten the pill a bit or make it taste more bitter, that seems the difference betwixt politrickcians at the mo.......
[i]What have I got to do to make you vote for me
What have I got to do to make you care
What do I do when opinion polls strike me
And I wake to find that you're not there
What do I do to make you vote for me
What have I got to do to be heard
What do I say when it's all over
And sorry seems to be the final word
It's sad, so sad
It's a sad, sad situation
And it's getting more and more absurd
It's sad, so sad
Why can't we start it over
Oh it seems to me
That sorry seems to be the final word[/i]
Apologies to Bernie Taupin.
It's a bit of a joke, but it's an apology.
Personally, I don't reckon anyone mocking this would ever have even considered voting Lib Dem anyway, so he's lost nothing.
In a strange way, it might appeal to the minority that are not sure whether he's as bad Cameron and Milliband, and work out ok for him.
And it's a real sign of the times when Conservatives are more concerned with mocking their Coalition partners before the term is up, than battling Labour.
Strikes me as an early White Flag for the next election, knowing there's a spanking coming but trying to deflect the blame and attention to a kid brother.
More youtube japes:
See if the x-factor version is any more pallatable.
Anyway, who thinks Andy Burnham's long game for Labour leader is going quite nicely?
I bloody well hope so!
LibDems have given the Poke permission to release it as a charity single!
+1 for molgrips, people appear to have forgotten that it's the conservatives who done this..
What choice does he have? Bring down the government and end up with a tory only government?
I fully understand why Lib Dems did what they did. It's clear that they had to give up some promises to get other things done. It's a coalition, or had you forgotten that? Hardly fair to hold them to pledges that were made on the basis of forming a government themselves.
Nonsense. Clegg et al knew that their only shot was with a coalition. He just had to make sure that they got enough of the vote at [b][u]any[/b][/u] cost. Hence the false promises.
Anyone remember Gidiot's speech where he laid out the depth of the austerity cuts? If the libdems are such unwilling bedfellows, why was that weasel Danny Alexander enthusiastically patting Gidiot's back in congratulation and generally fawning all over him like a ginger Gollum? They sold out for a place at the big table knowing that when they get booted out and the libdems, that they destroyed, crash and burn there will be a number of nice fact directorships waiting.
Andy Burnham is an interesting option. Don't know too much about him even though his constituency isn't too far from me. Certainly puts himself across better than many of the current shadow cabinet from what I have seen.
Steve Bell nails it once again
[img] 
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when it turns to ridicule, there's no way back. 5 yrs propping up an unpopular tory government = 50 yrs of oblivion.
Clegg et al knew that their only shot was with a coalition. He just had to make sure that they got enough of the vote at any cost. Hence the false promises.
I don't see it like that.
I doubt they made promises on the assumption of being in a coalition.
The question when placed in that position is this: do you stick do your guns and ultimately achieve nothing, or do you compromise so you can influence govt much more strongly than if you were the second opposition party?
It's a tough one, clearly.
I'm sure Nick said 'We don't want to increase tuition fees', what do you think Dave said? He said 'well we don't, so tough'. Would you have walked away from the chance to get other things implemented? Possibly one that should dramatically increase your party's share of the vote forever more (ie PR).
It's so easy to bay and jeer when you are just a spectator, isn't it? What great fun it is, we feel so clever too!
The question when placed in that position is this: do you stick do your guns and ultimately achieve nothing, or do you compromise so you can influence govt much more strongly than if you were the second opposition party?
It's a tough one, clearly.
Given how little influence they've had, it looks like they've achieved nothing. Consequently, it probably won't have been that tough to walk away. If there was a half-competent opposition, the threat of walking away might have been very powerful if it precipitated an election.
molgrips - Member
It's so easy to bay and jeer when you are just a spectator, isn't it? What great fun it is, we feel so clever too!
Is this the lesson for the Lib Dems? It certainly seems very apt!
It's a lesson for everyone!
Nick was damned either way, whatever he did.
I doubt they made promises on the assumption of being in a coalition.
A coalition looked quite likely at the time their manifesto was written. If you don't get concessions on matters you claim to believe in, what is the coalition achieving for you?
It's so easy to bay and jeer when you are just a spectator, isn't it?
I voted for them so when I see Danny Alexander all but blowing Gidiot I think I'm entitled to feel a little afronted. When "I agree with" Nick does a u-turn on one of their [b]core[/b] manifesto items and then issues a mealy mouthed half apology, then yes I feel I am justified in baying. They wanted the job, they walked right into coalition with eyes wide open. They then chose to roll over.
Let's put it another way. If I hire someone based on their CV and good interview, then once they get in they fail to deliver do I just toussle their hair and say "Oh, well. You probably didn't realise just how hard it was going to be." and leave them to it?
Nick was damned either way, whatever he did.
So why did he go into politics with a supposed manifesto and set of convictions if at the first hurdle he capitilates and lets the Tories carry on regardless.
I still think Nick Clegg did the right thing entering the coalition. So they overpromised on tuition fees and couldnt deliver, big deal. I will probably vote Libdem next time.
Lots of speculation that Balls is going to come out and say that Labour will match the Tory's tax and spend comitments into the next parliament. All you guys on the left are going to squeel when he does that, its coming.
They then chose to roll over
That's now how I remember it. They had to bargain their way into the coalition by dropping some of their pledges.
If I hire someone based on their CV and good interview, then once they get in they fail to deliver do I just toussle their hair and say "Oh, well. You probably didn't realise just how hard it was going to be." and leave them to it?
Totally different situation, obviously. You voted for them based on what they would do if they formed a government. They didn't form one. End of.
If I tell you I'm going to be home at 6pm, but there's a terrible accident on the M4, are you going to accuse me of lying or giving up when I'm home at 8?
You can't even blame them for overpromising since they dind't know there'd be a coalition.
Lots of speculation that Balls is going to come out and say that Labour will match the Tory's tax and spend comitments into the next parliament.
Green for Govt then!
If I tell you I'm going to be home at 6pm, but there's a terrible accident on the M4, are you going to accuse me of lying or giving up when I'm home at 8?
If you intentionally drive your car into the wreckage, yes. 8)
It's not as simple as "they didn't know there would be a coalition". The pledge on fees increasing was made "no matter who is in power, we will vote against it."
No argument can make what he did the right thing.
That's why he has had to apologise: he did wrong.
Luckily for Clegg, he's doing this in a government where U-turns are commonplace, and his isn't the biggest or worst.
IMO, this will work out ok for him.
Stretching it too far.
The pledges were made on a hypothetical basis. The reality was different. So he had to compromise to achieve what he could.
I'd have done the same I think. Otherwise I'd never ever have been in a position to change anything.
From their point of view, as the third party in a three/four party system, the biggest thing of all is PR. They need that, otherwise they are just wasting their time.
Nick was damned either way, whatever he did.
Rubbish. The LibDems would not have been damned if they had not helped the Tories form a government to push through Tory policies by all those people who are opposed to Tory policies.
Have you not heard ? ..... many people have voted LibDem [i]precisely[/i] to keep the Tories out.
Most people who want Tory policies vote Tory ...... not LibDem.
Except of course people like mcboo who now realise that they can vote LibDem safe in the knowledge that they are in fact voting for Tory policies. It takes away that terrible stigma of being a "Tory".
BTW I think Clegg should now apologise for this :
Look. In government, they have (or had) the chance to influence government. Out of it, they had nothing.
So again, it was a toss-up AT THE TIME
As it turns out they've been a damp squib. But it was not known at the time how effectively they'd be neutralised by wily tories, was it?
