Clegg should go

An editorial in the Independent says that, under Clegg`s leadership, the Lib Dems "rightly threw in their lot with the Conservatives for the benefit of the country in need of stable government", but it chooses to ignore the huge list of cruel and blatantly unfair additions to the Statute Book which the coalition then produced. (Under their leader Lib Dems have been effective in power. Sacking him now would be immature,27/05/14) Cameron and Osborne have  frequently resorted to U-turns, exemplified by Osborne`s sudden support recently for an increase in the minimum wage to £7 an hour, when they know they face a possibility of election defeat,but they can`t hold a candle to Clegg in his efforts to stave off electoral humiliation. Not content in digging a hole for himself with his attempts, last year, to defend the honour of politicians in the wake of criticism from Paxman, he then had  the temerity to front the coalition`s attack on Boris Johnson for his "greed is good" speech last November, Cameron`s patsy to the last. He attacked Johnson for suggesting "we should give up on a whole swath of fellow citizens", without seeming to realise that is exactly what he and his coalition colleagues did by giving their support to Gove`s examination changes, which in the long term will lead to a two-tier system of education! It`s hard to believe the Deputy Prime Minister seems unaware of the hurt his government`s austerity policies have caused, but this is the same man who, after three years of being in  government, declared it was time to "hardwire fairness" into policies! He continues to talk as if the inequality this government has increased and encouraged has nothing to do with him; supporting the living wage is all very well but has he instigated any policy to make it compulsory, and why not two years ago? "Greed", he says, "brought a banking collapse and misery and hardship", yet for three and a half years he`s joined in with the Tory propaganda blaming the Labour government`s spending and borrowing for causing the problems. 

     Under his leadership, there is little chance of the party regaining the trust of young people after "their notorious tripling of tuition fees", and he has done nothing to suggest this can be remedied. How anyone could even think of voting for the Lib Dems, with him at the helm, beggars belief; their only chance of avoiding electoral humiliation is for him to resign with immediate effect. The editorial argues that the appointment of a new leader would "sacrifice whatever credibility the party has been able to win during these past four painful years", but much of the pain has been deliberately inflicted by a government relying totally on Clegg`s complicity. As for "credibility" won by the Lib Dems, now that really is taking things too far!

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