‪Who Will Be the Next UK Prime Minister?‬

The dust has barely settled after the Brexit referendum, and already those trying to take over David Cameron's post as prime minister are trying to sell themselves to the people. A number of them appeared on morning television, and they faced some tough questions as to why they think they're the best option to lead a post-EU United Kingdom.

Nick Clegg: I Want to Be Prime Minister
TIMES ONLINE: Nick Clegg has told The Times that the Liberal Democrats can supplant Labour and has stated that his ambition is to become prime minister.

He insists that the Liberal Democrats have become the leading progressive force at the ballot box. The latest Populus poll for The Times shows the party still in second place ahead of Labour with only eight days to go.

Mr Clegg believes that the May 6 vote is now a two-horse race between “two competing pitches for change” — the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. He says that Liberalism has replaced “Labour statism” as the driving argument of the Centre Left.

And whoever wins, he insists that the momentum for reform of the political system is unstoppable. “Reform is now unavoidable. You can’t duck it.”

In an interview yesterday, Mr Clegg insisted that he was not being arrogant or presumptuous about his chances, but he had set his sights high. In a febrile campaign that is changing by the day, he said that it was still possible that his party could poll more votes than either the Conservatives or Labour.

“I think the Lib Dems have a brilliant, brilliant team and I would love to see us in government and, of course, I want to be prime minister,” he said. He made plain during the lengthy interview that his bottom line in any negotiations with David Cameron in a hung Parliament would be electoral reform.

Although he ruled out dealing with Gordon Brown if Labour came third in the popular vote, he did not rule out working with Labour, saying that he would have a moral obligation to provide “good, stable government”. >>> Roland Watson and James Harding | Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Philip Johnston: We Need to Consider This: Could Nick Clegg Be Prime Minister?
Are the doors opening for Nick Clegg? Photograph: The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOG: The second televised election debate could be a pivotal event in modern British politics. If Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, performs well and further improves his poll ratings, we could be looking at a totally changed landscape. Instead of musing about the prospect of a Lab-Lib Dem coalition that sustains Gordon Brown in office, we might seriously have to contemplate a Lib Dem win and Clegg himself in Number 10.

The latest opinion polls have the Liberal Democrats on around 33 per cent of the vote, some 10 points ahead of where they normally are. This may be less to do with the party’s policies and more to do with a desire to stick one on the other two parties. But the reasons are less important than the reality of where we are.

In the past, the Lib Dems have found it difficult to pick up support in general elections because it is assumed that in national terms a Lib Dem vote is a wasted vote. David Cameron is playing on this with the Vote Clegg, Get Brown attack. But what if voting Clegg gets Clegg as PM? Once that idea takes hold, what happens then to the Lib Dem vote? >>> Philip Johnston | Wednesday, April 21, 2010

TIMES ONLINE: Prep school, privilege and charm smoothe Clegg’s rise to prominence >>> Sam Coates, Will Pavia | Wednesday, April 21, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: General Election: the Tories have a fortnight to save themselves from disaster: The nation wants change - and Cameron must show that he's the man to deliver it, says Benedict Brogan. It is customary to wait for the patient to expire before performing the autopsy, but impatience is one of the weaknesses of modern politics, and everyone wants to know why the Tories threw away the election. >>> Benedict Brogan | Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Dutch Divided Over Geert Wilders as Radical MP Eyes Premiership
THE TELEGRAPH: Until last week, the Bernard family had the normal concerns of any middle-class Dutch family – putting their teenage children through university, living a greener life, and paying the mortgage.

Geert Wilders began to see a rise in his popularity after an Amsterdam appeals court decided to try him for anti-Muslim comments in January. Photo: The Telegraph
But that has all changed since the European election – and the triumph by Geert Wilders, the right-wing populist and outspoken critic of Islam who in February was banned from entering Britain as a threat to "community harmony".

To many abroad Mr Wilders, a Dutch MP, appears an old-fashioned racist whose views put him on a par with other far-Right politicians elsewhere in Europe.

Yet in its first ever test of national electoral support among the normally tolerant Dutch, his anti-immigration Party for Freedom which he founded in 2006 won 17 per cent of the votes – making it the second biggest party. That has shaken the country to its core – opening up the real possibility that, through the Dutch coalition system, Mr Wilders could win power at the next general election.

Now, like many others in the Netherlands, the Bernards are desperately worried. "This has the feeling of what happened to Germany in the 1930s," said Alfred Bernard, 52, a lawyer. "Wilders blames foreigners for everything. People are disoriented because of the economic crisis. Everywhere there is dissatisfaction with mainstream politicians.

"After this I really believe that Wilders could become prime minister in the 2011 parliamentary elections, or at least set the political agenda."

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Wilders, 45, was frank about that ambition. Asked about the prospect of taking power in two years' time, he said: "That is our biggest job. We had an enormous success last week and our biggest task is to keep up momentum. I am very confident that we will have an excellent result.

"If my party becomes the biggest party, I would be honoured to be prime minister."

Sitting in his office in the Dutch parliament building in The Hague, protected from the threat of assassination by 10 armed secret service bodyguards, he summed up his antipathy to the religion of many immigrants to the Netherlands.

"Islam wants to dominate our society," he said in fluent and only slightly accented English. "It's in opposition to freedom.

"If people are offended, that's not my aim. I don't talk about Muslims but about Islam. Everything I say is against the fascist Islamic ideology."

To the charge that to many his views appeared to be racist, he responded: "If that was true, we would never have been the second biggest party in the European elections."

Why, then, did Moroccans and Turks living in the Netherlands so fear him? "As long as they don't commit crimes, it's a baseless fear," he said. "If you adhere to our laws, if you act according to our values, you are free to stay. We will help you to integrate.

"But if you cross the red line, if you start committing crimes, if you want to do jihad or impose sharia, we want you to be sent out of the Netherlands and we will get rid of your permits to stay."

An admirer of Churchill and Lady Thatcher, he is charismatic as well as combative. Holland's conventional politicians – mostly dull men in suits – have no idea how to counter his politically incorrect taunts, which outrage the parliamentary chamber but delight his supporters. >>> By Nick Meo in Rotterdam | Sunday, June 14, 2009

Read my essay:

Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom >>> Friday, April 20, 2007

LIVE LEAK: Fitna the Movie

Soon It Will Be Prime Minister Wilders!
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain's controversial ban on the anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders has pushed his Freedom Party into the lead for the first time, according to Dutch opinion polls.

Geert Wilders. The next premier of the Netherlands? Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
Mr Wilders has benefited from the publicity provided by Dutch and international headlines that followed a decision last month to ban him from showing his anti-Muslim film, Fitna, in the House of Lords.

His attempt to enter Britain, his detention and subsequent deportation, following an order by Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, have made the Dutch MP into a free speech martyr and celebrity in the Netherlands.

New opinion polling now puts Mr Wilders ahead of the Christian Democrats, who lead a coalition government.

"How happy I am about this. These are of course just polls, but it is an enormous sign of confidence from the Dutch voter," said Mr Wilders.

"As far as I am concerned, elections can be held tomorrow, then I will be the next premier". Geert Wilders Leads Dutch Polls >>> By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>