He’s a politician. What do you expect? Not many people seriously think that no cuts in expenditure is a viable economic option, including yourself. I’d rather judge them on what they have and will achieve – for example, the referendum on AV.

Also, Lib Dem MPs and party activists should STFU and be grateful that for once in their lives, they have any influence at all. There is something about the left that revels in opposition, that loves being powerless. With no power comes no responsibility.

Oh how dreary. Because of course if Clegg had led the Lib Dems into a coalition with Labour (and Caroline Lucas and Tom Dick and Harry in the we-hate-the-Tories-stitch-up, beg pardon I mean “progressive majority”), the same sort of things could not have been found when their South West base inevitably collapsed and they’d got a kicking generally for propping up Gordon Brown?

You’re doing a fine job at imitating a sour loser. Of course, Clegg didnt want this coalition. But as the best of bad options (and a minority government with the failed labour party a worse one) we should acknowledge the political maturity shown

Gordon Brown for PM! Come back, all is forgiven! <– this is presumably the alternative Clegg should pursue

You may have accidentally a word from your headline.

“Gordon Brown for PM! Come back, all is forgiven! <– this is presumably the alternative Clegg should pursue."

Alternatively, wait until the Labour leadership election is settled. But even then the LibDems + Labour don't have a working majority in the House of Commons. And it's 5 years till the next general election.

For all Clegg’s talk of being straight with people, of new grown up politics he has without doubt mislead the public about himself, his policies and his political compass more than any other politician in living memory. His brass neck is even making David “no cuts to frontline services” Cameron a pious, straight talking paragon of virtue.

How does he expect to get away with his total abject renunciation of everything he said during the general election campaign? Is he a political genius with more cunning than Machiavelli or a political chancer who is going to ride his party into electoral annihilation?

@apothcary

That is the Cleggite narrative that your putting across but it is *far* from the truth, Brown was even prepared to be abjectly humiliated to get a Lib-Lab deal. Clegg is, in reality, a right wing Libertarian who could happily join the tory party if it wasn’t for his pro-EU stance.

The funny thing is that the coalition has more of a democratic mandate than Labour in ’97.

@10

Even if that is the case, it’s a mandate earned on the back of what we now see as false promises and lies. I’m still yet to meet a Lib Dem voter (or member) happy with what the Cleggite tendancy is doing.

Sunny

These messages are useful in the long run. When a new Labour leader is making his statements about the horrors of skyrocketting poverty and homelessness he can simply use the exact phrase of the deputy prime minister.

It helps paint embarrass one half of the coalition while making actually quite valid points.

Until then it doesn’t achieve much.

@10

That’s partly true – but only statistically. Actually their government programme was never put to the people in a manifesto. Likewise many parts of it were opposed by a large majority (who voted Lib Dem, Labour, SNP, Green, Plaid and others)

Next time though, if they share a platform, they can indeed claim a combined majority that would indeed be fully legitimate.