Lib Dem Short Money response
Some Liberal Democrats are blaming Newsnight for them losing Short Money, the state funding which opposition parties get to help for research and policy development.
You may recall that we reported a couple of months ago that the Lib Dems were hoping to do a deal with the Conservatives whereby they would carry on getting some Short Money, even though they are now in government. At the time they were clearly optimistic that some kind of agreement was on the cards.
Until it was publicly exposed by Newsnight, it seems.
"You cost us £2.2m and 30 jobs," a senior Lib Dem official grumbled to me this morning.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 19th Aug 2010, stevie wrote:Michael Crick's jossling along Whitehall of Nick Clegg was hilarious it was if he was trying to sell him some contraband....all he asked were a few uncomfortable questions about the winter fuel allowance and Nick's lips were sealed and anyway we know the form...the boss is away on holiday and Nick gets all the c....p jobs like defending unpopular policies, his own ratings in freefall, being assailed by Michael everytime he steps outside the door and generally being despised by most of his own party so it is a thankless task he has taken on, also have you ever seen a more retiscent, even timid Fraser Nelson on NN? If it wasn't for Olly and Peter we would have been bored....
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)