Looks like the masses want clegg of the failed liberal democrats to leave ,before he is pushed for his failure to win many seats in the recent elections.

Should he go or should he stay, if he goes i believe British gas has vacancies for smart meter reader installers.

Next stop Brussels eh Cleggy !

Yes I think EU commissioner would be ideal for him. At least then he wouldn’t need to worry about people liking him, or having to vote for him, before he took decisions which affected their lives.

Milliband too please.

One down, two to go.

For those who think there’s been a massive disconnect between Westminster and the voters out in the sticks.

He won’t resign.

their problem is they broke their pledge and supported a govt that did everything they stood against.

Replacing the leader wont change the basic problem that no one trusts them to do what they say.

IMHO the next leader is Tim Farron [ went to college with him and we did politics together and he was a lib dem then] and he will have the sense to wait till after the election kicking.

Makes no difference. No one is going to vote for the libdems for an entire generation.

Trouble is whoever leads the Lib Dems will probably do just as badly they are clearly a party going nowhere no matter how much they think they can dust themselves down and rebuild. The party has lost morality with its voters probably stemming back from letting the students down with Clegg going back on his promise on student fees.

their problem is they broke their pledge and supported a govt that did everything they stood against.

I think if Clegg resigned at that time, the rest of the party might have stood a chance. But now it’s completely scuppered.

He has to go and I find myself agreeing with Junkyard and Farron would be the natural choice, would Farage had had as much publicity if Clegg hadn’t invited him to debate? Had he not taken a deliberate pro Europe stance despite some of us lib dems being anti European political integration, would we have had such a bad result.
If he had any decency at all he’d fall on his sword.

Got shafted by the result in the last election, Lib-Lab coalition wouldn’t have had enough seats for outright majority, and another election at the time would have probably resulted in slim Conservative majority, with increased Labour vote and Lib Dem vote disappearing after all the coalition fear mongering. Probably hoped he could temper Conservative policy somewhat rather than spend another 5 years as a very minor part of the opposition.

No one else will want to take over until after the inevitable general election disaster. Then the man, who 4 years ago was getting all the praise that Farage is now, can be ceremonially dumped and a fresh start can be proclaimed. Although there is still a real possibility that they will end up in another coalition with either Lab or Con, which might complicate that somewhat.

They’ll go thru similar thing as the tories did in ’97. They’ll have their equivalent of IDS, Hague, and the other one.
Back then everyone was saying Tories would be broken for a generation, but only took a little more than a decade to nearly become outright electable. edit: although, tbf, they did have help from Brown running an economy by saying the word “prudent” in every sentence for a decade, and blair getting out perfectly and washing his hands just as the excrement hit the fan.

Might be interesting watching LD move their MPs to what they think are safe constituencies over the next year ready for the general.

Before the 2010 election in many respects I felt the lib dems were to the left of labour and had the integrity to stand by beliefs irrespective of what that meant in terms of popularity at the poles. I respected that. To form a coalition with the Tories as the minority party was always going to mean having to compromise. The lib dem usp was (in my eyes at least) that no compromise position. Once they lost that I’m really not sure what they are for any more.

If they had got into bed with labour after the election instead it would be interesting to see where they would be now. Couldn’t be any worse.

I’m a soft middle class guardian reading pro Europe teacher and I can’t see me voting for them for the foreseeable. If they can’t count on me that makes them truly bolloxed.

Got shafted by the result in the last election, Lib-Lab coalition wouldn’t have had enough seats for outright majority, and another election at the time would have probably resulted in slim Conservative majority, with increased Labour vote and Lib Dem vote disappearing after all the coalition fear mongering. Probably hoped he could temper Conservative policy somewhat rather than spend another 5 years as a very minor part of the opposition.

labour were closer to lib-dem on policy than the tories, and with labour offering PR Clegg sold out the lib-dem voters for a numbers game and ignored the reasons that they had voted for his party.

It will perhaps be interesting to see what is revealed in the future, and if in reality the lib-dems had in fact tempered the tory attack on the nation. But the reality will not matter, in the public eye they have sold out their core beliefs and have been completely played by the tories.

Surely the only way Clegg could survive is if no-one else wants the job at the moment?

The party has lost morality with its voters probably stemming back from letting the students down with Clegg going back on his promise on student fees.

But in reality he didn’t as the LibDems never won the election and his is the minority party in coalition.

If they had got into bed with labour after the election instead it be interesting to see where they would be now.

We’d have had another election within a year, with the Tories winning a bigger majority IMO. A Lib-Lab coalition didn’t have the numbers to work.

At the last election the LibDems were screwed whatever choice they made. Oddly they did what they felt was best in the long term for the country and the voters are going to hammer them for it. As someone said on one of the other threads the UK public just don’t get coalitions and how they involve compromise.

Instinctive LD voter here. But really really struggling to see what they stand for now. As convert and MSP have said above really.

The party has lost morality with its voters probably stemming back from letting the students down with Clegg going back on his promise on student fees.

I think the LibDem’s problems extend further back to when Clegg first became their leader.

Under Charles Kennedy I strongly supported the LibDems as I saw them as the only major party occupying the slightly left of centre ground, and judging by their electoral success at that time I wasn’t the only one.

However when Nick Clegg became LibDem leader it became obvious that the LibDems had decided to arrive late to the neoliberal party, and that Clegg was simply another repackaged Tory like Blair.

The 2010 general election should have been watershed for the LibDems. Labour by then had been in power for 13 years, a very long time in British politics, but more importantly, the Conservatives were seen to have very little credibility in the eyes of the electorate, indeed they failed to win the election.

This waiting open goal for the LibDems should have resulted in them enjoying a huge groundswell of support as the obvious alternative to the two discredited parties. In the event the LibDems failed and pretty much received the same vote as they had received 5 years early under Charles Kennedy.

It was clear that under Nick Clegg the LibDems had failed to significantly convince voters that were able to offer an alternative to the other two discredited parties.

And as it turns out they were right ….. as Clegg went on to prove.

Making Nick Clegg leader was the first big mistake the LibDems made. Entering coalition with the Tories was just the follow up mistake which finished them off. IMO

Aye, CK for all his legion of faults, at least (I would have said) was an instinctive LD head of party. Clegg – not so much. Bring back Thorpe (maybe not)..

I defected from Labour to Lib Dems at the last election because I thought the Lib Dems were more left of centre and progressive than Labour. What a naive mistake that was. Sorry everyone. No idea what’s left. Should probably just leave it up to better informed and more local people…

Charles Kennedy was by far the most inspiring party leader when he was LibDem leader. IMO
Damn the Scots and their cultural drinking issues.

I am not a fan of coalition governments and for that reason less pro-PR, but in this case I think the coalition has achieved far more that I would have expected. They came to power at a very difficult time economically and with large areas of incompatibility in objectives. But they had to govern and they had to make a number of tough choices. Of course, there are the headline grabbing issues (Uni fees being the most obvious) and there has been the distraction of pre-budget pre-briefings (largely Uncle Vince playing Machiavelli) but there have also been a number of successes including on tax (wealth tax excluded) and a lot has been achieved given the difficult context.. Not least, they have illustrated the fact that in opposition it’s easy to hide behind fantasy polices covered in sugar, but when you are actually in power, things change and harsh, cold reality sets in. Like a CEO it becomes more lonely and more difficult and you often become less popular but that comes with the turf. Hopefully that will lead to a more discriminating electorate especially in the run up to 18th September 2014.

Well, regardless of what you think of the Lib Dems or Nick Clegg, he’s actually the most successful Lib Dem leader since Lloyd George…and yes, I know he was a Liberal (created the welfare state by the way)

A junior coalition party is always in a bad position, dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t. Coalition with Labour at the last election would have meant government with no majority and no actual mandate so nothing would have got done and you probably would have had another General Election within a year with the same result. The lib Dems always stated before the election that they would enter coalition talks with whichever party had the most votes/seats and that is exactly what happened. If you’re party is doomed you might as well go out having been in government as you will at least have had a chance to made a difference as opposed to shouting from the sidelines.

Also loving the comments about tuition fees, Yes, true ( disagreed with them on turning against that) but that wasn’t part of the final coalition agreement: you won’t get everything you want.

However, if you think that’s bad, I do remember a party standing for election after taking the country into a rather large , costly and hugely unpopular (possibly illegal)war…They got re-elected a couple times afterwards so it’s always good to see where people’s priorities lie.

By the way, two people who are prospective parliamentary candidates ( ie not MPs) saying their leader should resign does not a revolution make….possibly also mean they will have some “interesting” discussions this week with head office.

The party has lost morality with its voters probably stemming back from letting the students down with Clegg going back on his promise on student fees.
But in reality he didn’t as the LibDems never won the election and his is the minority party in coalition.

MY bold

Let remind you what he said with a picture
Its is clear and what you say and his explanation was BS and disingenuous in the extreme

he’s actually the most successful Lib Dem leader since Lloyd George

I think you have to define success pretty narrowly as having been in govt [ and ignore war govts ] for that to be true.
TBH I dont think even his wife thinks that and no one has destroyed the party as spectacularly as he has.

but that wasn’t part of the final coalition agreement: you won’t get everything you want.

We know and it was Cleggs fault it was not

Well, regardless of what you think of the Lib Dems or Nick Clegg, he’s actually the most successful Lib Dem leader since Lloyd George

No he isn’t. You don’t even provide a shred of evidence to back up that quite remarkable claim.

When Nick Clegg became LibDem leader they were enjoying about 20 percent support in the polls, and had been more or less doing so for about 30 years.

Today under Nick Clegg’s leadership LibDem support has plummeted to half of that and is down to the level it was 70 years ago. They now have just one MEP – even the BNP have had more than that in recent years.

Claiming that Nick Clegg is the most successful LibDem leader since Lloyd George in face of reality is the most impressive bit of spin heard in a very long time. In fact I’m gobsmacked 🙂

it’s a tough decision whether to take the job or not, no guarantee of keeping your seat come the election so a year as the top dog in a doomed party may appeal to some, but if you keep your head down and scrape through there’s not going to be much competition for the job post ge.

Will he get elected again? I can’t see how anyone would vote for him now

muddy@rseguy – Member

Well, regardless of what you think of the Lib Dems or Nick Clegg, he’s actually the most successful Lib Dem leader since Lloyd George..

Yeah, depends on your criteria for success, if “Got taken up the arse by the tories then led his party off a cliff” is success then perhaps so.

You can’t judge a party leader solely by electoral success, if you do that then Tony Blair is the best labour leader ever. Sell your soul and you might be politically succesful but you’re failing in all your actual goals and duties.

Having said that, it’s obvious the lib dems now want a sacrificial goat but how many in the party were frantically trying to hold him back? Not many I think, he wasn’t the only one to succumb.

it’s a tough decision whether to take the job or not, no guarantee of keeping your seat come the election so a year as the top dog in a doomed party may appeal to some, but if you keep your head down and scrape through there’s not going to be much competition for the job post ge.

Despite the low popularity it still looks like there’s a reasonable chance of the next lib dem leader being deputy-PM after the next election. That might appeal to some.

I see Clegg hanging on to his post for a few months till the party conference or even till the general election as no one else is going to want to take the leadership and therefore take some of the blame when libdems are made to suffer at the election

Lib Dem is doomed which probably means they will be wiped out entirely in the next general election. Another history in the making.

😯

Yup the lib dems are screwed now.
I always used to vote for them, but since their sell out of the tuition fees amongst other things, I am not planning on voting for them any time soon.
Sadly there still appear to be very few alternatives available.

You can’t judge a party leader solely by electoral success…

This is true, although the primary role of a leader is to lead their party to electoral success. In the case of Nick Clegg he’s done the complete opposite – he’s led his party into electoral oblivion.

Claiming that Nick Clegg is the most successful LibDem leader since Lloyd George in face of reality is the most impressive bit of spin heard in a very long time. In fact I’m gobsmacked

Ok, so you’re gobsmacked.

Reasoning: Nick Clegg brought his party into a coalition government, he’s DPM ( regardless of what you think of that) and the party has MPs in several major departments (treasury, trade and industry and education)

You might not agree with their policies and you might dislike or hate the person ( in which case, get out a bit more) but I can’t help thinking that a great deal of the anti Lib Dem vitriol comes from a lot of Labour supporters who either can’t get over loosing the last general election, went and voted Lib Dem instead of Labour to keep the Tories out and simply can’t get over the fact that the Liberal democrats then didn’t do the decent thing and roll over and go into Coalition with Labour….”ooh, how dare they” or they are livid Conservatives who also can’t get over not winning the last election that was so rightfully theirs…

ITS A COALITION GOVERNMENT FFS! You won’t get everything you want ( a bit like real life)

Hang on, it’s a bank holiday Monday, I’m off to enjoy the rest of my day instead of being flamed for holding an opinion and making reasoned ( or not 🙂 )arguments.

got that analysis /wrong/ (edit) as far as I’m concerned. Principles out the window from my pov. Now I’m left – was undecided in referendum – thinking “sod it, I’ll just vote Yes” and leave you to it.

Reasoning: Nick Clegg brought his party into a coalition government, he’s DPM ( regardless of what you think of that) and the party has MPs in several major departments (treasury, trade and industry and education)

Oh I see……you’re impressed because a handful of LibDem MPs have spent the last 4 years being driven around in ministerial Jags in repayment for propping up the Tories.

Well if that’s how you gauge “success” then yes, I can see that for you Nick Clegg has been the most successful LibDem leader since Lloyd George. Most people however don’t appear to be as easily impressed as you.

.

You might not agree with their policies and you might dislike or hate the person ( in which case, get out a bit more)

You mean get out a bit more and meet the other 90% of people who like me don’t agree with LibDem policies and dislike or hate Nick Clegg ?

Looks like the masses want clegg of the failed liberal democrats to leave

Got the Lib Dems into government for the first time in their history (in their current form).
Absolute failure through and through. If his name was Harry Redknapp he’d be lauded as the saviour of the western world, and given a throne made of gold

Got the Lib Dems into government for the first time in their history

Clegg is responsible for a hung parliament?
That is something no one would claim- he was just the leader when it happened.
Also look at what price he paid, his principles, his parties manifesto and all credibility for him and them. Not a success IMHO

You mean get out a bit more and meet the other 90% of people who like me don’t agree with LibDem policies and dislike or hate Nick Clegg ?

I know london is not typical but really 10 % of folk like him 😉

Clegg is responsible for a hung parliament?

To be fair he couldn’t have done it without the Tories failing to win a majority, so a big vote of thanks should also be extended to David Cameron.