“He should apologise just as a matter of basic decency.”
The difficulty for the Lib Dems is that they have no credibility as a tax cutting party as they have no credibility as a spending cutting party.
Also: SNP accuse Labour of stealing credit for public spending spree. And Belfast commemorates the nine victims of the 1993 Shankill Road bombing…whilst republicans unveil a plaque to the bomber.
The Lib Dem conference was never just going to be about Vince moaning and a plastic bag tax. Sure enough, Nick Clegg's big announcement is free school meals for all school children aged between five and seven. As Robert Halfon MP notes elsewhere on ConservativeHome this morning, the sensible part of Clegg's proposal (that which gives […]
I wrote yesterday about the fundamental division within the Lib Dems between the Liberals and the SDP: “Any political party is a coalition of sorts – we Conservatives certainly have plenty of tribes of our own, who disagree about plenty of issues. But Lib Demmery is a more divided creed than most. Having been […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter Here at ConHome, we’ve tended to mention the areas of political overlap between Labour and the Lib Dems. Indeed, Paul Goodman highlighted two such areas – pensioner benefits and the mansion tax – only last week. But there are now so many examples, with new ones by the day, that […]
By Mark WallaceFollow Mark on Twitter The Lib Dems have been twisting and turning over the last few days to get out of supporting an EU referendum. Their most awkward moment came as their leader stood in for the Prime Minister at PMQs. Veteran eurosceptic Edward Leigh brandished a Lib Dem leaflet from 2008, asking whether the […]
By Harry PhibbsFollow Harry on Twitter I sometimes feel that Conservative Party members don't take their role sufficiently seriously in terms of contributing to policy. However, the excruciating self importance of Lib Dem policy group members is hardly something one would wish to emulate. Over at Lib Dem Voice a group of them are grumbling, having […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Nick Clegg's speech to the Liberal Democrats' Spring Conference is well worth a read. It's well constructed and it has a clear, simple message at its heart. In the Deputy PM's words (my emphasis): "You can’t trust Labour to build a strong economy. You can’t trust the Tories to […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter I’m not saying that Nick Clegg will resign. Nor that the allegations surrounding Lord Rennard and his party, as dispiriting as they are, necessarily yet warrant a resignation. But the past week has certainly raised the prospect of blood further down the tracks. Mr Clegg’s appearance on LBC radio this […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter If you believe that David Cameron’s likeliest route back to No.10 in 2015 is another coalition with the Lib Dems, then then the past fortnight may have been rather perturbing. Reason being, there are increasing signs of unity between Labour and the Lib Dems. Of course, the two parties appear […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter Today’s the day for pre-emptive strikes. Ed Miliband, Douglas Alexander, Nick Clegg and Vince Cable are all spread across the airwaves, attacking David Cameron’s Europe speech in advance of its delivery tomorrow. And so their main points of difference with the PM have become clearer, but also — more neglected […]
State school can have class teachers teach modern languages who have absolutely no experience speaking the language at all. According to Nick Clegg it is okay.