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Nick Clegg: ‘Michael Gove went from charm personified to hiding in the toilet'

In this exclusive extract from his new book, the former deputy prime minister talks about how difficult it is to get things done in Whitehall. Especially when you're up against an ideologue education secretary with a team of 'unhinged' advisers Part one: 'No wonder there was a Nick Clegg looking sad website' Making change is not easy: it is an art, not a science. As junior partners in a coalition and having been out of power for decades, the Liberal Democrats had to learn quickly how to get things done in a system that can resist change at every turn. The coalition government was, of course, a unique experiment in British politics with some unusual features, not least the need to secure agreement across the leadership of two parties. Unsurprisingly much of the significant change that came about during the coalition involved trade-offs and compromises.

NCMP
5 Sep 2016
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Nick Clegg: ‘I did not cater for the Tories' brazen ruthlessness’

For five years, he was the brakes on a 'cynical' Conservative party, argues the former deputy prime minister. Was the cost, personal and political, worth it? I'm standing on the edge of a one-horse town in the middle of nowhere, blinded by the mid-morning sun. Nothing to the left of me, nothing to the right. Just heat and dust. Ennio Morricone's theme tune to The Good, The Bad And The Ugly plays on a loop in my head. Eventually, a man hollers and strides over. He is wearing shorts and shades, and has a salt-and-pepper beard. He could be a reclusive former pop star, who walked away from fame and gave up on the niceties of life.

SH
3 Sep 2016
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Nuclear weapons policy: the zero option

Members of the Nuclear Weapons Working Group are presenting their personal views as part of a wider consultation process into the party's future policy on nuclear weapons. The full consultation paper can be found at www.libdems.org.uk/autumn-conference-16-policypapers and the consultation window runs until 28 October. Party members are invited to attend the consultation session at party conference in Brighton, to be held on Saturday 17 September at 1pm in the Balmoral Room of the Hilton. 1945, August 6, 8.15am. Slicing through the clear blue sky, a previously unknown "absolute evil" is unleashed on Hiroshima instantly searing the entire city, Koreans, Chinese, Southeast Asians, American prisoners of war, children, the elderly and other innocent people are slaughtered. By the end of the year 140,000 are dead.

KW
30 Aug 2016
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An election or not?

Right now it feels a little like an electoral phoney war. Rumours of a possible snap general election prompted the party, rightly, to do urgent selections of prospective parliamentary candidates over the summer. Will the election happen? Could a possible false alarm be helpful? One answer is to wait and see: a general election in October would point to a different strategy from one early in 2017, and we don't have resources to invest a lot in an election that doesn't happen.

MA
29 Aug 2016
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New pro-European campaign organisation: Stronger In relaunched as Open Britain

The Stronger In campaign from the European referendum is relaunching as Open Britain: Britain is at its best when open - open minded, open for business, open to trade and investment, open to talent and hard work, open to Europe and to the world. So today we are pleased to launch Open Britain, a new campaign for the best possible relationship with Europe for Britain's future.

29 Aug 2016
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Fair Votes Now!

The Liberal Democrats have long championed proportional representation, advocating for a voting system where every vote truly counts. We believe that reforming our electoral system is crucial for a fairer democracy and better governance.

LD
16 Sep 2024
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High Peak Liberal Democrats AGM Notice 7.30pm, 4 December 2024

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