Liberal Democrat conference: Nick Clegg warned over 'dictatorship' risk

[Turborama]

Source: Telegraph (UK)

Nick Clegg has been warned that he and the other Liberal Democrat Coalition ministers are creating a “dictatorship” at the top of the party which is ignoring the views of the rank-and-file.

By Andrew Porter, Political Editor. Published: 11:50AM BST Sep 20 2010 -

Mike Hancock, a Lib Dem MP, said that the coming cuts to welfare budgets would be “spiteful, vindictive…and pander to the worse aspects of the Tories.

His attack came as Mr Clegg prepared to give his keynote speech to his party at their annual conference in Liverpool. The Deputy Prime Minister will dismiss his critics, arguing that he was right to form a Coalition with David Cameron’s Conservatives.

Mr Hancock wrote an open letter to Mr Clegg outlining his fears for the party. He said: “I am writing to you with two concerns. Firstly, that we may be abandoning a key aspect of the Liberal Democrat policy in supporting the welfare state.

“And secondly, we are going beyond the coalition agreement without it being referred back to the democratic structures of the party. I am sure you agree with me that we must not have dictatorship of the party by 20 Lib Dem ministers.”

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/nick-clegg/8013237/Liberal-Democrat-conference-Nick-Clegg-warned-over-dictatorship-risk.html

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Seems like a rift is developing in the LibCon space-time continuum.

[HereSince1628]

1. That could never happen here...

e top of the party which is ignoring the views of the rank-and-file. :eyes:

[Pab Sungenis]

2. The real question is

will Nick Clegg be the leader of the LibDems this time next year? If he keeps getting closer and closer to Cameron, and swallows more and more of the Tory agenda, there may be a coup in the party which will effectively bring down the coalition and thus the government.

[Davis_X_Machina]

3. No, he will not be leader...

...and no, it will not necessarily bring down the Coalition.

Clegg's' busy hard-wiring 5-year parliaments regardless of changes in the composition of the House, and if they hurry, he can get it all into place before the LibDems bail. There'll be a revolt, he'll be out as Leader -- but Cameron's gov't is safe.

[Pab Sungenis]

4. Is there really support for hard-wiring the five year terms?

Labour will be firmly against it, the Tories for it. Will enough of the LibDems back it?

[Davis_X_Machina]

6. A whiff of actual office...

...clears the clouded mind wonderfully.

Of course they will.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Not 'regardless of changes in composition'; a simple majority for a no confidence vote still forces

an election. From your article:

"Parliament would be dissolved early if no government could be formed within 14 days of a simple majority vote of no confidence"

So if over half of the MPs in parliament vote they have no confidence in the government, and they aren't persuaded to think again within 14 days, they can bring down the Tory government.

In the situation of the Lib Dem party removing Clegg as leader, of course, they can't remove him as an MP, and so it would be possible he'd still personally vote with the Tories on a no confidence motion, as might other Lib Dem MPs currently with a position in the coalition government. So it is true that the removal by the Lib Dem members of Clegg as leader, or the desire of Lib Dem members to stop the Tory-led government and get a new election, won't necessarily force an election. It depends on how the MPs vote; but that is already the case.

[Davis_X_Machina]

7. The Parliamentary LibDems have already sold their souls....

...there will be a revolt in the constituencies, but it won't change who goes into which lobby in the House when the crunch comes. They've taken King Cameron's shilling -- they'll fight the King's wars.

[pennylane100]

8. I have not followed british politics very closely in the past few years

but I thought that the reason Clegg sold his soul was to get a change in the voting system which is so confusing, I cannot accurately describe it, but it puts third parties at a distinct disadvantage. If he gets this change, I think his sell-out would be worth it. But, again, I am not well versed in these matters.

[Davis_X_Machina]

9. The Tory backbenches...

....are trying hard to torpedo that deal.

[Dawson Leery]

10. The LibDems are selling out on economic policy.

If Labour could oust the Blairites they would be in a strong position to retake power should this coalition fall apart.
The LibDem rank and file are furious about the coalition.