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| Nick Clegg boasts of blocking 16 Tory policies in 'tooth and nail' fight | Nick Clegg boasts of blocking 16 Tory policies in 'tooth and nail' fight |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Nick Clegg has ushered in a new era of brittle coalition politics as he denounced Tory "dogma" and reeled off a list of controversial policies blocked by the Liberal Democrats in what he characterised as an "endless battle" with their partners in government. | Nick Clegg has ushered in a new era of brittle coalition politics as he denounced Tory "dogma" and reeled off a list of controversial policies blocked by the Liberal Democrats in what he characterised as an "endless battle" with their partners in government. |
| In a dramatic escalation of his campaign to differentiate the Liberal Democrats from the Tories, the deputy prime minister told the Liberal Democrat conference in his keynote speech of how he fights "tooth and nail" to keep the coalition on the centre ground. | In a dramatic escalation of his campaign to differentiate the Liberal Democrats from the Tories, the deputy prime minister told the Liberal Democrat conference in his keynote speech of how he fights "tooth and nail" to keep the coalition on the centre ground. |
| "Sometimes compromise and agreement isn't possible and you just have to say no," Clegg said as he listed 16 Tory policies blocked by the Lib Dems. Some of these, such as Tory plans to raise the inheritance tax threshold to £1m, date back to the coalition agreement negotiations in 2010. Others were more recent proposals such as Michael Gove's plan to revive a form of O-levels. | "Sometimes compromise and agreement isn't possible and you just have to say no," Clegg said as he listed 16 Tory policies blocked by the Lib Dems. Some of these, such as Tory plans to raise the inheritance tax threshold to £1m, date back to the coalition agreement negotiations in 2010. Others were more recent proposals such as Michael Gove's plan to revive a form of O-levels. |
| The deputy prime minister said: "It's an endless battle; we've had to fight tooth and nail. It was the same just this week with the decision to introduce a small levy to help Britain radically cut down on plastic bags." | The deputy prime minister said: "It's an endless battle; we've had to fight tooth and nail. It was the same just this week with the decision to introduce a small levy to help Britain radically cut down on plastic bags." |
| Clegg chose to depict the Lib Dems as an "anti-establishment" force in government, even denouncing elements in the security establishment who pressured him to support the so-called "snoopers' charter" proposals to track everybody's email, internet and social media use. | Clegg chose to depict the Lib Dems as an "anti-establishment" force in government, even denouncing elements in the security establishment who pressured him to support the so-called "snoopers' charter" proposals to track everybody's email, internet and social media use. |
| "Government ministers, loud voices in the Labour party, the securocrats and Whitehall were adamant I should say yes," he said. "But when push came to shove it became clear that the surveillance powers being proposed we disproportionate." | "Government ministers, loud voices in the Labour party, the securocrats and Whitehall were adamant I should say yes," he said. "But when push came to shove it became clear that the surveillance powers being proposed we disproportionate." |
| The term securocrat was originally coined by Sinn Féin during the early stages of the Northern Ireland peace process to criticise elements of the British security establishment who opposed republican involvement in the politics of the province. | The term securocrat was originally coined by Sinn Féin during the early stages of the Northern Ireland peace process to criticise elements of the British security establishment who opposed republican involvement in the politics of the province. |
| The deputy prime minister's decision to advertise ongoing internal coalition differences with the Tories follows a decision by Clegg to stake out the centre ground in a three-pronged strategy: to depict the Tories as dogmatic, highlight Lib Dem achievements in office and portray his party as the moderating force in government. | The deputy prime minister's decision to advertise ongoing internal coalition differences with the Tories follows a decision by Clegg to stake out the centre ground in a three-pronged strategy: to depict the Tories as dogmatic, highlight Lib Dem achievements in office and portray his party as the moderating force in government. |
| The deputy prime minister encapsulated this thinking as he boasted of the Lib Dem campaign to raise the personal tax-free allowance to £10,000 from next year – a proposal dismissed by David Cameron during the general election. "The Tories like to claim credit for that one now, don't they?" he said. | The deputy prime minister encapsulated this thinking as he boasted of the Lib Dem campaign to raise the personal tax-free allowance to £10,000 from next year – a proposal dismissed by David Cameron during the general election. "The Tories like to claim credit for that one now, don't they?" he said. |
| The Clegg attack on the Tories followed an overnight briefing by senior Lib Dems that the main announcement in his speech – universal free school meals for infants – was a "deal" with Cameron in exchange for Lib Dem support for a new marriage tax allowance. The Lib Dem approach caused deep irritation in Downing Street, though some Tories are likely to regard Clegg's "no" list as a badge of honour. | The Clegg attack on the Tories followed an overnight briefing by senior Lib Dems that the main announcement in his speech – universal free school meals for infants – was a "deal" with Cameron in exchange for Lib Dem support for a new marriage tax allowance. The Lib Dem approach caused deep irritation in Downing Street, though some Tories are likely to regard Clegg's "no" list as a badge of honour. |
| The deputy prime minister, who delivered one of his most polished performances at the end of a week in which he has seen off a series of challenges from the left of his party, signalled another broader strategy in his speech: a plan to topple Britain's system of two-party politics. Clegg matched his attack on the Tories with a warning that Labour would "drive the economy to ruin" if Ed Miliband won an overall majority at the next election. | The deputy prime minister, who delivered one of his most polished performances at the end of a week in which he has seen off a series of challenges from the left of his party, signalled another broader strategy in his speech: a plan to topple Britain's system of two-party politics. Clegg matched his attack on the Tories with a warning that Labour would "drive the economy to ruin" if Ed Miliband won an overall majority at the next election. |
| Pledging to end the "clapped out" politics of two parties jostling to govern on their own, Clegg said that the role of the Lib Dems was now to temper the worst excesses of the two main parties. "Left to their own devices, they'll both get it wrong," he said. | Pledging to end the "clapped out" politics of two parties jostling to govern on their own, Clegg said that the role of the Lib Dems was now to temper the worst excesses of the two main parties. "Left to their own devices, they'll both get it wrong," he said. |
| "We're not trying to get back into government to fold into one of the other parties – we want to be there to anchor them to the liberal centre ground, right in the centre, bang in the middle. We're not here to prop up the two-party system; we're here to bring it down." | "We're not trying to get back into government to fold into one of the other parties – we want to be there to anchor them to the liberal centre ground, right in the centre, bang in the middle. We're not here to prop up the two-party system; we're here to bring it down." |
| Clegg directly repudiated the legacy of the late Roy Jenkins, who dreamed of a realignment of the centre left in which Labour and the Liberal Democrats would find common cause to keep the Tories out of office. "For me, joining forces for good with another party simply reduces democratic choice," he said. "The Liberal Democrats are not just some subset of the Labour or Tory parties – we're no one's little brother. We have our own values, our own liberal beliefs." | Clegg directly repudiated the legacy of the late Roy Jenkins, who dreamed of a realignment of the centre left in which Labour and the Liberal Democrats would find common cause to keep the Tories out of office. "For me, joining forces for good with another party simply reduces democratic choice," he said. "The Liberal Democrats are not just some subset of the Labour or Tory parties – we're no one's little brother. We have our own values, our own liberal beliefs." |
| But Clegg did revive the language of Jenkins, who pledged to break the mould of British politics when he founded the SDP with other members of the "Gang of Four" in 1981. He said: "Our place in this government has prevented the pendulum swinging back from left to right … If we can do this again – in government again in 2015 – we are a step closer to breaking the two-party mould for good." | But Clegg did revive the language of Jenkins, who pledged to break the mould of British politics when he founded the SDP with other members of the "Gang of Four" in 1981. He said: "Our place in this government has prevented the pendulum swinging back from left to right … If we can do this again – in government again in 2015 – we are a step closer to breaking the two-party mould for good." |
| Clegg, who is sensitive to suggestions that he is out of touch with voters as the descendant of Russian aristocrats, admitted he came from a privileged background. But in a highly personal account, he said that his family's turbulent history – one side fled the Russian Revolution while his Dutch mother spent much of her childhood in a south-east Asian prisoner of war camp – had taught him the uncertainty of life. | Clegg, who is sensitive to suggestions that he is out of touch with voters as the descendant of Russian aristocrats, admitted he came from a privileged background. But in a highly personal account, he said that his family's turbulent history – one side fled the Russian Revolution while his Dutch mother spent much of her childhood in a south-east Asian prisoner of war camp – had taught him the uncertainty of life. |
| He said: "My mother and father always taught us that people's fortunes can turn quickly – that good fortune should never be assumed and misfortune can occur suddenly, without warning." | He said: "My mother and father always taught us that people's fortunes can turn quickly – that good fortune should never be assumed and misfortune can occur suddenly, without warning." |
| The 16 policies | The 16 policies |
| "I always thought it was better, in politics," Clegg told the conference, "to tell people about the things you've achieved, not just the things you've stopped." | "I always thought it was better, in politics," Clegg told the conference, "to tell people about the things you've achieved, not just the things you've stopped." |
| That was a preamble to a long list of Conservative policy proposals he wanted the party to take credit for stopping, on those occasions when "compromise and agreement isn't possible and you just have to say no". | That was a preamble to a long list of Conservative policy proposals he wanted the party to take credit for stopping, on those occasions when "compromise and agreement isn't possible and you just have to say no". |
| Here – in Clegg's words – are the full 16: | Here – in Clegg's words – are the full 16: |
| • Inheritance tax cuts for millionaires | • Inheritance tax cuts for millionaires |
| • Bringing back O-levels | • Bringing back O-levels |
| • A two-tier education system | • A two-tier education system |
| • Profit-making in state schools | • Profit-making in state schools |
| • New childcare ratios | • New childcare ratios |
| • Firing workers at will, without any reasons given | • Firing workers at will, without any reasons given |
| • Regional pay penalising public sector workers in the north | • Regional pay penalising public sector workers in the north |
| • Scrapping housing benefit for young people | • Scrapping housing benefit for young people |
| • Ditching the Human Rights Act | • Ditching the Human Rights Act |
| • Weakening the protections in the Equalities Act | • Weakening the protections in the Equalities Act |
| • Closing down the debate on Trident | • Closing down the debate on Trident |
| • Parliamentary boundary changes | • Parliamentary boundary changes |
| • Scrapping Natural England | • Scrapping Natural England |
| • Holding back green energy | • Holding back green energy |
| • Stopping geography teachers telling children about how we can tackle climate change | • Stopping geography teachers telling children about how we can tackle climate change |
| • The snoopers' charter (draft communications data bill) | • The snoopers' charter (draft communications data bill) |
| Clegg's clowning | |
| Nick Clegg is unlikely to be troubling the writers behind Have I Got News For You with his witticisms. But compared with his Lib Dem ministerial colleagues, whose jokes mainly fell flat during the week, the deputy prime minister at least made his audience laugh. | |
| Clegg poked fun at the Lib Dem peer Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay who made his annual call last week for the deputy prime minister to resign: "Now I know I won't be in politics for ever. Matthew Oakeshott will be relieved – well just three or four more general elections to go Matthew." | |
| When Andy Murray asked Clegg, David Cameron and Ed Miliband at a post Wimbledon reception why they couldn't always get on, the deputy prime minister observed: "A good question that was met with an awkward silence and the three of us shuffling our feet." | |
| Clegg also fondly recalled attending a pro-gay-marriage reception with chief whip Alistair Carmichael, the climax of which created a particularly vivid tableau: "Little did we know that they had set up an impromptu wedding ceremony – cake and dancing 'n all – outside the Palace of Westminster. And we found ourselves standing side by side – if not quite hand in hand – in front of the exuberant London Gay Men's Chorus, singing Abba's Dancing Queen for us at the top of their voices ... Awkward though I think Alistair and I must have appeared as we lamely clapped to Abba, at that moment we were exactly where we belonged: on the outside, welcoming in reform." | |
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