Nick Clegg is a more formidable politician than his critics allege but a more flawed one than Chris Bowers portrays in this uneven apologia. Clegg has, after all, achieved what his predecessors – notably David Steel and Paddy Ashdown – sought and failed to achieve: taking their party into government. Yet the record in office has been much less happy.
Bowers, a freelance journalist and Liberal Democrat activist, fills in interesting background about Clegg’s multinational family roots and pre-Commons career, but thereafter he is too keen to justify what Clegg has said and done. He has an absurdly them-and-us view about political journalists and has failed to burrow into how Clegg operates as deputy prime minister. He does not appear to have talked to any civil servants or senior Tories working at the centre (Ed Vaizey does not count).
Clegg and his party prepared better than the other party leaderships for the possibility of a hung parliament and were ruthless and surprisingly disciplined during the ‘five days in May’. Clegg appreciated that they had a once-in-a-generation opportunity to share power and the Conservatives were the only realistic partners.
But the Liberal Democrats had largely failed to prepare themselves for being in government and for the compromises involved, the most glaring example being the pledge against tuition fees. According to his biographer, Clegg was privately sceptical but could not carry the Federal Policy Committee. Bowers dances unconvincingly around the claim that, since tuition fees were not one of the party’s four main priorities, it does not really matter. It does.
As important has been the inexperience of Clegg and colleagues in the ways of government. The Liberal Democrats never really took up the offer of advice before the 2010 election from, among others, the Institute for Government, about how Whitehall worked, partly for fear of appearing presumptuous.
It is arguable that Clegg should have taken on a major office of state, though the Foreign Office and probably the Home Office might have too much for Tory MPs to stomach. He has also made some serious misjudgements. May 2011 was far too early to hold the referendum on AV – it should only have been held when the coalition had had chance to demonstrate some successes. Similarly, he is now pinning too much on winning approval for an elected second chamber.
Bowers presents Clegg as a likeable, approachable, charming, intelligent and decent man. So he is. But that is not enough.
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Peter Riddell is a senior fellow of the Institute for Government
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Nick Clegg: The Biography
Chris Bowers
Biteback Publishing| 256pp| £17.99
yup “formidable” the French for unqualified
oh,and,how can el Cleggo have said never ever trust Labour with the economy again !! he should know /understand that it is the Banks ( and associated spivs) that we should never trust again ,of course not a word on how well Brown handled that crisis infact . Nick the Lick please try to realise that the Labour Party is more than you can ever hope to be ,with your soundbite stew party a mere sop to the Tories .
Yes but of course labour were in power not the Liberals, Labour spent billions on lots of silly things like the fire control centres, we are now seeing Labour re branding or re founding into what is the question. I suspect it will be a long hard period for Labour, Clegg is in power Labours in opposition problem now will it be another period like Thatcher four terms in the wilderness.
It’s about who the public trust and right now the Tories are in the driving seat, I suspect the next election the Tories will win may be out right, maybe needing the Liberals again, but even if it is hung can anyone really see the Liberals joining Labour after the way labour have carried on, I cannot.
Will the middle class who are going through a hard time so we are told want to vote Labour I doubt it
well I think you should doubt it , look at Mrs.National Trust last night on beeb saying “homes for people not profits” and she’s very middle class ; they are getting the idea of what the Tories are really all about,Labour’s message just has to be clearer more honest and direct ,no soft soaping twaddle as from the Li – De -To -s !