I don't vote Conservative or Labour so don't view any of these conversations from any sort of tribal prism. It really is a stretch to cling to the mindset that "They are all as bad as each other" so criticism needs to be dished out to all in equal measure. There's one side of the political divide that's really letting itself and the country down. The other side is a little bit feeble and insipid but there's no comparison.

I agree

The Lib Dem’s are proof why it’s better to keep your independence and definitely stay clear of the Conservatives.

Weren't they formed by 4 over ambitious labour politicians who thought they could do better?

They trace back to the 1850s.

Roy Jenkins isn't that old surely.

We can only do our best but you'll need to want to cure your ignorance yourself as well.

The same Lib Dem’s that formed a government with the conservatives purely to try and stay relevant?

Maybe your best just ain't good enough.

I could always see why the Lib Dems would want to take a role in a governing coalition, but they accepted an unbelievably bad deal. Essentially handing over their support for nothing meaningful, taking responsibility without getting any power.

I remember seeing Danny Alexander challenged on how little they’d got and him talking about how many more MPs the Conservatives had than the Lib Dems. True enough, but you’d think that the party of proportional representation might have tried arguing their position based on share of the vote. It remains my gold standard for bad political decision making. Still, Clegg was able to use being Deputy Prime Minister (hah!) to convince Zuckerberg to give him an undoubtedly well-paid job and I assume he gets to spend a lot of time in the States where people don’t know the damage his decision did to his party. So leading that party worked out better for him personally than for Tim Farron or Jo Swinson, for example.

Spot on, singlehanded clegg virtually wiped out the Lib Dem’s. Then his pal Cameron cheerfully destroyed any semblance of conservative values in the Conservative party.

Another day another lie. https://twitter.com/alextaylornews/stat ... 50888?s=21

Another day another lie. https://twitter.com/alextaylornews/stat ... 50888?s=21

The electoral consequences are not and should never be an impediment to doing the right thing. The UK needed a government, Labour and Brown had neither the numbers nor the public support to continue. The Lib Dem negotiating team made some bad errors but the government they produced was stable and relatively moderate. In stark comparison to the ****show of instability, self-inflicted economic damage and incompetent governing which has happened to this country since 2015.

To an extent, I agree. However, they could have achieved the same without metaphorically cutting their own throats. If the Conservatives were going to give them nothing (no important/signature Lib Dem policies and deputy PM, business secretary and devolution-era Secretary of State for Scotland isn’t even crumbs, imo), they could have gone confidence and supply. Might have given them some leverage and wouldn’t have cost them so much credibility and support.

I’m curious as to how that negotiation unfolded. What were the first offers if that is where it ended? Has there ever been an insider’s account? I don’t suppose it is anybody’s interest to give one.

The cynic in me thinks that some of them just got giddy at the prospect of ministerial cars and the opportunity to play at government, which they might never see again.

Whatever happened to the 'Ginger Rodent' post politics?
I'd take a guess he went into investment banking or the like.

The big Lib Dem policies which were enacted were the first £10k everyone earns being tax free (this was number 1 in the 2010 manifesto), the pupil premium (number 2), the reinstatement of the pension link with earnings and the free school meals policy which was later reversed by the Tories once they were in power alone.

It’d be a pretty good guess.

Jo Swinson is a visiting Professor at Cranfield Business School. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I do wonder at the difference in perception and post-politics career trajectory between her and Facebook VP Nick Clegg. I mean, life is unpredictable and irrational at the level of the individual, I know that - but I still can’t help thinking ‘WTF?’ from time to time.

I suppose that brings us back to the OP’s question. There’s no good reason, life just chucks up weird confluences of circumstances sometimes. They might be happy (I’ve just read Bob Mortimer’s autobiography and he could very easily have remained a solicitor in South London if things hadn’t turned out just so, leading to him meeting Jim Moir/Vic Reeves) or less so, in the case of the country stumbling into becoming a prop to Boris Johnson’s shallow narcissism.

From a Lib Dem perspective they may be big, in fairness. It’s not exactly my perspective, so I’m left wondering why they didn’t hold out for a referendum on proportional representation or at least some decent cabinet jobs. Tbh, I’d have to look up the pupil premium. They certainly found a way to make sure they didn’t get any due or undue credit.

The two takeaways from the coalition for me were austerity for the many and the Lib Dems shooting themselves in the face. The electoral consequences, I am relying on hindsight. However, even back then, I thought comedy pop artist who reached number 5 in the charts with his song about Boris Johnson last Christmas, summarised Clegg’s negotiation position pretty accurately (I can’t be more precise than that without melting the swear filter).

[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_United_Kingdom_Alternative_Vote_referendum#Referendum_questionThe 2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum[/url

I stand corrected and reminded.

It is clear that Boris and the government are gambling with the health of the nation. He hopes that the vaccination works against the new variant because he does not want to be seen to be wrong again. I suppose dumb dumb and dumber will be partying like it’s 1979.
He had better be right or things could deteriorate quite rapidly.

You seem pretty clear on this Blink, are you a doctor now to go with your many other attributes or are you banking on the knowledge of the medical staff now dealing with this new variant? who I'm sure the man in question will also be relying on they're advice, don't you think that all this business has been a gamble, he's a politician not a doctor and unlike you what's clued up about everything in this world he relies on the judgment of the so called experts, unfortunately he can't rely on the expertise of army of experts in the labour party even though you do by clinging on to they're every word.

You're right Chizzywizzy, he does rely on the "judgment of the so called experts".
However, time and time again he has chosen to ignore them.
Not going into lockdown (twice) when ADVISED to do so by those very experts you quote has cost many people their lives.
But, you keep on trusting his judgement over theirs. Why ?

How old are you squire


I don't have the answer as to why he didn't go into lockdown twice when ADVISED to and haven't said I do, but I would imagine he won't have gone against their advice lightly or just to wind you up, there will have been a reason or reasons why if indeed he did go against they're wishes in doing so if that were the case, I have never said I trust his judgement ever and you cannot show me where I have all I have ever done is accept it on the basis I have little choice and refuse to get upset and work myself into a frenzy like you and your bezzie mates, your simply using your customary defensive tactics when once again you've jumped in with both feet making a fool of yourself by copying and pasting anti government propaganda, btw if your so desperate for attention, try to come up with something better than chizzywizzy

Sorry Chizzywizzy, I thought that silly childish names were your thing, you seem to perpetuate their use on multiple occasions.
You also stated that Bojo was following advice and I merely wanted to point out that he does not follow the advice all of the time, especially if there is a party going on down at No 10.
My dislike for Bojo is very well documented on here, to the point of annoyance (for some) and yet, despite saying that you dont like him and that you're not a Tory Boy, you dont half jump to his defence quickly.
Your choice Chizzy but, it does seem somewhat contradictory.