Nick Clegg: Election Losses Are 'Gutting and Heartbreaking'

In an emotional interview in which he appeared tired and red-eyed, deputy prime minister says he will not resign despite elections drubbing

Read and comment on the Telegraph article here | Georgia Graham | Monday, May 26, 2014

Nick Clegg's Supporters Round on Activists Calling for Him to Quit

Nick Clegg's supporters are criticising a push to oust the
Liberal Democrat leader from office in the wake of
disastrous local and European election results.

THE GUARDIAN: Lib Dem activists had claimed the deputy prime minister has no strategy to prevent electoral oblivion in 2015

Supporters of Nick Clegg have derided a push to oust the Liberal Democrat leader from office in the wake of disastrous local and European election results, claiming there were only minimal signs of a revolt inside the parliamentary party.

But Clegg's critics, comprising more than 200 party activists who backed the call for a change at the top, say the deputy prime minister is offering no strategy to prevent electoral oblivion in 2015 other than the hope that the current message will be better received in a year's time.

They claim there will be further momentum when the party sees the scale of the setbacks in the European elections. Some of those calling for a change in leader would prefer Vince Cable, the business secretary, to take the helm without a contest, but it is unlikely that the Treasury chief secretary, Danny Alexander, or other key figures at the top of the party would permit such a coronation. » | Patrick Wintour, Nicholas Watt and Rowena Mason | Sunday, May 25, 2014

Maajid Nawaz Must Be Free to Offend Muslims – and Christians Must Be Free to Offend Gays

Maajid Nawaz

TELEGRAPH BLOGS – BRENDAN O’NEILL: Yesterday, two very striking things happened on the freedom-of-speech front. First, the campaign in defence of Maajid Nawaz, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate who has been harassed by an online mob of Islamists for saying he did not think the Jesus and Mo cartoons were offensive, stepped up a gear. Numerous newspaper columnists, bloggers and tweeters have rallied to Mr Nawaz’s defence, and a petition calling for the Lib Dems to offer him their full support now has close to 7,000 signatures. And second, the High Court in London ordered an investigation into the banning of an allegedly homophobic advert from British buses by Transport for London (TfL) in 2012. The Court said the ban might have been unjust and said it is now time to “re-examine whether… the poster could be used”.

Let me guess: you’ve heard a lot more about the first case, about Mr Nawaz’s travails, than you have about the second – right? Certainly there’s been far more coverage of the liberal online uprising in defence of Mr Nawaz’s right to tweet the secularist, mickey-taking Jesus and Mo cartoons than there has been of the High Court’s green light for an investigation into the banning of an anti-gay poster by TfL. Which is weird, because these cases are actually very similar. In both, an army of offence-takers sought to scrub from public view something they found repulsive – whether a tweet about Jesus and Mo or a poster putting forward a Christian take on homosexuality – and in both it was casually assumed that the rights of the offended should take precedence over the freedom of everyone else to tweet, read, see and hear certain risqué (allegedly) ideas. But only one case – Mr Nawaz’s – has become a cause celebre [sic] among liberals who profess an attachment to freedom of speech. Why? » | Brendan O’Neill | Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Liberal Democrats an 'Anchor' Holding Back Tories and Labour, Says Nick Clegg

The Liberal Democrats have thwarted many of the Conservatives’ greatest ambitions, saying “No” to a string of cherished Tory policies, Nick Clegg has claimed.

Read the Telegraph article here | James Kirkup | Wednesday, September 18, 2013
THE GUARDIAN: Nick Clegg: Lib Dems are out to end two-party politics » | Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent | Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Vince Cable Attacks 'Ugly' Conservative Politics

BBC: Lib Dem Vince Cable has launched a scathing attack on his Conservative coalition partners, accusing them of "ugly" and "blinkered" politics.

The business secretary told activists the Tories had "reverted to type as the nasty party" and called their election adviser Lynton Crosby a "rottweiler".

It was necessary to work with Tories in the national interest, but the Lib Dems must not be "dragged down", he said.

Earlier, the Lib Dem conference backed the coalition's economic policy.

In a round of early media interviews, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg had been forced to deny a rift with Mr Cable over economic policy as he urged party members to stick with the two coalition parties' agreed strategy to cut the deficit through spending cuts and tax rises.

And a few hours later, in his keynote speech to the annual conference in Glasgow, Mr Cable began by making clear he supported his party's decision in 2010 to enter coalition with the Tories and to work "constructively and pragmatically" with them. (+ video) » | Monday, September 16, 2013

Jeremy Browne: Ban Muslim Women from Wearing Veils in Schools and Public Places

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Britain should consider banning Muslim girls and young women from wearing veils in schools and public places, a Home Office minister has said.

Jeremy Browne, a Liberal Democrat, said there needs to be a national debate about whether the state should step in to protect young women from having the veil “imposed” on them.

Mr Browne said he is “instinctively uneasy” about banning behaviour, but suggested the measure may still be necessary to ensure freedom of choice for girls in Muslim communities.

The Home Office minister is the first senior Liberal Democrat to raise such deep concerns about Islamic dress in public places. A growing number of Conservative MPs also want the Government to consider a ban.

The debate was given momentum last week when David Cameron’s spokesman said the Prime Minister would have no problem with the veil being banned in his children’s schools.

Tory MPs, including a vice-chairman of the party, have now voiced support for Mr Browne. » | Christopher Hope, and Steven Swinford | Sunday, September 15, 2013

Syria Crisis: Paddy Ashdown 'Ashamed' of Britain over Commons Vote

The former leader of the Liberal Democrats said he is “ashamed” of Britain’s decision not to take action following the chemical weapons attack in Syria which saw hundreds killed and thousands more injured.

Read the article here | Claire Carter | Friday, August 30, 2013

What an Idiot ! Simon Hughes MP Addresses Muslims at a Conference in London

HT: marcus_leeds »

WIKI: Simon Hughes »