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Last night's Lib Dem rally

Michael Crick | 08:45 UK time, Sunday, 19 September 2010

Tim Farron was only a last minute stand-in at the Lib Dem rally last night, but still in good form. Two examples:

"Now that Nick is Deputy Prime Minister, and only a few yards down the corridor from Andy Coulson, he doesn't need to check his phone messages any more."

And:

"Something I've got in common with many of our Tory colleagues: I joined my party because of Margaret Thatcher."

Meanwhile, Nick Clegg at last night's rally:

"It's great to see Liberal Democrat ministers speaking behind the despatch box - or hear them, in the case of Sarah Teather."

And:

"Eric Pickles is the only Cabinet minister you can spot on Google Earth."

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    THEM AND US

    Well it's all a giggle really isn't it. Once you are inside the Westminster Citadel, the serfs can go and eat cake.

  • Comment number 2.

    Yes Michael all very jolly.

    The thing that matters is whether Cameron and Clegg can sell this as a time of national crisis where we all must pull together (.. "all in this together"). That is the ONLY way they can survive the reaction when the cuts are announced.

    For this reason I hope the tough on tax cheats, tough on benefit cheats is more than just "spin" (a fig leaf).

    In relation to the "Major Clampddown on Tax Avoidance and Evasion" announced this morning my questions for Danny Alexander and Nick Clegg (indeed all LibDems) would be as follows:

    1. Are there to be any particular legislative changes as part of the "MAJOR CLAMPDOWN"? For example, to close particular loopholes or to generally "tighten up" the system. Or is this simply some additional expenditure?

    2. Is there any ongoing policy work being undertaken by HMRC looking at improvements in the efficiency and fairness of the tax system? If so what is the nature of this work and are there plans to release details to the public? If not, why not?

    3. How much is it estimated the new measures will raise in each year of this parliament and the next parliament?

    4. How was the budget for the $900 million extra expenditure determined? If the amount was doubled for example what increase could be expected in recoveries?

  • Comment number 3.

    MONEY IS POWER - POWER IS MONEY (echo)

    No political party will snip off the money warts. if they try, money-power will pull them down, either by removal of largess or by funding defeat. Loopholes to the super-rich are like work-allergy to the super-welfared. Rights are rights - the more so when time-entrenched.

    While this country remains fundamentally corrupt, and living within the lie, that will remain the sorry truth of it.

    Re-jigging the British Culture is the only way out of the psychological bind we are in, but it will take far better minds than Westminster will ever be able to access. Perverse Albion is in deep distress; game playing juvenile politicians, on ego trips, are not the solution.

    Weep Britain.

  • Comment number 4.

    Disunity is fundamental to the human condition. Only a complete moron would be trying to suggest that the coalition is fragile because of disunity without accepting that disunity and conspiracy are rife within every political party that ever was. There is absolutely nothing significant in the banter reported above. Remember how Thatcher was destroyed by conspirators withing her own party and Blair likewise by Labour Brownites.

    Compared to them the coalition appears to be the strongest, most resilient force that British politics has ever seen. As the future of our country depends on that continuing to be the case I'm sure Mr Crick will enthusiastically continue to try and suggest that the opposite is the case.


    Guy Fawkes minus the gunpowder.

  • Comment number 5.

    Clegg's speech is not till 4 o'clock...is he hoping they have all nodded off by then?

  • Comment number 6.

    The blog post should be called, the Last Night of the Last ever Lib Dem Conference, what with polls 12 per cent at the moment, and a Lib Dem spokesman on the Daily Politics on Friday says the Lib Dems are growing in support, where is the evidence?

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