Liberal Democrats Leadership: Clunking Fists
Comment at end
18th November, 2007
BIG CLUNKING FISTS UNDER THE SPIN DOCTOR?
[Pic: At a happier BBC interview, Nick Clegg (l) & Chris Huhne (r)]
The Liberal Democrat Leadership candidates were at each others’ throats today on Jon Sopel’s The Politics Show.
Watch The Politics Show clip (3 minutes)
[WARNING! Adults only - starts off all lovely and friendly before descending to near riot. (OK, I exaggerate!) ]
You just don’t expect this of the nice and civilised, child-friendly and harmless Lib Dems, do you? But there they were, at it like a pair of grannies after the last bingo ticket! (Sorry Grannies - they were worse than that; you’d probably share the ticket).
But this ticket can’t be shared. Only one can grab the prize of Liberal Democrat leadership, to try yet again to lead the Liberal Democrats to government. They couldn’t restrain themselves - even the elder of the two. In fact, at 53, and you’d have thought MORE sensible than the 40 year old Nick Clegg, I think Chris Huhne did himself no favours at all.
If they’d actually started throwing punches I wouldn’t have been surprised.
They were at it again on the BBC Radio 4 lunchtime news, scrapping over who said what about ‘Calamity Clegg’ (on the document released from Huhne’s office) of which he, of course, knew nothing!
It all started off so well, agreeing that they were in the same party and had the same values (don’t know why THAT’S supposed to mean anything, but there we are, it’s one of today’s watchwords).
It didn’t take long for the policy differences to open up between them - absolutely HUGE as they were!
I think.
But the main issue seemed to be that Huhne was accusing Clegg of changing his mind or his position or his word on various policy matters.
That’s a bit more serious since at the very least Clegg was being accused of expediency or double-dealing, and at the worst, of misleading or even lying.
Personally I have no particular interest in this. I have no vote, and if I did, I’d probably abstain after this little episode.
It certainly pointed up the need for an Alastair Campbell public relations/press manager.
The first piece of advice should be against sitting in the same studio at the same time. Polite Mr Sopel did not wipe the floor with them as Paxman or Humphrys might well have done.
And even Brown & Blair in the worst of their moments together in public looked like bosom buddies compared to these two today.
Roll on the leadership election result, so that we can see which fist just might be clutching the balance of power after the next election.
In the meantime, if anyone mentions these names to you - Nick Clegg or Chris Huhne, please don’t say - “who dem?”
They’re both over there - flat out on the floor.
Update to the above:
Chris Huhne - I think he’s the one with the big clunking fist - struggled to his knees this afternoon and apologised for his behaviour today on The Politics Show.
Actually, that’s wrong. He apologised for the document describing Clegg as the ‘Calamity’ Kid … or something similar.
Oh no! - correction again - he apologised for the title of the document.
Or was it for the leaking to The Politics Show …
Or was it for the over-zealous researcher … or …
Oh, I give up …
He disassociates himself from it anyway, whatever it is …
I DON’T think he has yet apologised for his behaviour on the programme.
From the BBC website:
A spokeswoman for Mr Huhne said the title of the leaked document “Calamity Clegg” had been thought up by an “over-zealous researcher”.
A statement on Mr Huhne’s website says: “There is no excuse for this. The document title had not been approved before the document was sent out.
“In no way does the title of the document as sent to the Politics Show represent Chris Huhne’s opinion and he completely dissociates himself from it.”
The spokeswoman added that Mr Huhne stood by the contents of the document - a list of quotations which she said showed Mr Clegg’s policy “flip-flops”.
No wonder the Lib Dems were against the war in Iraq. They’re far too busy laying into one another at home.
And, in case you’d forgotten it’s all about values.
Mr Clegg is the one who, if and when the government brings in ID cards - (which they will, eventually - Mr Blair will be proved right here too) - Mr Clegg is not going to provide the information for an ID card and is not going to carry one.
Nice to know they have similar values of social responsibilty.
Here is the statement issued at Mr Huhne’s website, copied below in its entirety:
An Apology on Behalf of the Chris Huhne Campaign Team
4.01.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 18th Nov 2007
On behalf of Chris Huhne’s campaign, I sincerely apologise that a background briefing document of quotations from Nick Clegg on public services reform and proportional representation was sent out with a wholly inappropriate title. There is no excuse for this. The document title had not been approved before the document was sent out and neither Chris nor I were aware of it. In no way does the title of the document as sent to the Politics Show represent Chris Huhne’s opinion and he completely dissociates himself from it.
Chris believes that there is no place for personal criticism in a legitimate contest - but that showing a lack of clarity or inconsistency is permissible. He is therefore seeking permission from the returning officer to put the document in the public domain under the amended title “Nick Clegg in the media on public services reform and proportional representation.”
All team members have now been reminded of the absolute need both to refrain from any personal attacks and to obtain sign off on all documents.
Anna Werrin, Campaign Manager
Tags: brown, chris huhne, jon sopel, leadership, liberal democrats, nick clegg, politics show, Tony Blair
