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Meet Nick Clegg, the New Lib Dem leader
What does Nick Clegg believe in?
Nick Clegg is the new leader of the Liberal Democrats. But he’s only been an MP for 2 years, so you probably don’t know much about him. What does Nick Clegg believe in?
Nick Clegg thinks he is above the law. In 2007 he said he would disobey a law he disagreed with.
Nick Clegg wants to break up the NHS and replace it with private medical insurance. In an interview with the Independent at the Lib Dem annual conference, he said that the Liberal Democrats should break up the NHS and stop defending the NHS as it is. The Lib Dems should not rule out scrapping the NHS and moving to an insurance model. That’s the kind of insurance model where you can’t get insurance if you have anything wrong.
Nick Clegg has argued for the part privatisation of the Post Office. When you hear a Lib Dem saying post office closures should stop, remember that their leader wants to sell off the entire Royal Mail.
What do his colleagues think about Nick Clegg?
Here’s what Chris Huhne, the other candidate for the leadership, said about Nick Clegg:
“I do think we’ve seen a series of flip-flops from Nick.”
He was talking about Nick Clegg’s contradictory statements on nuclear weapons, schools and hospitals.
If Nick Clegg’s own colleagues don’t know what he stands for, how can we? It’s no wonder someone called him “Calamity Clegg”
Nick Clegg has now made his first speech as Lib Dem leader. And what did he say? Predictable stuff for someone who wants a "smaller state" (codewords for big cuts in services and privatisation).
Clegg said in a speech to Lib Dem activists on January 12th that he wants private companies and charities to run more public services. He wants to cut the role of local councils in schools and leave it to companies and chairities to run schools without proper oversight by elected councillors.
The speech was greeted by the Sunday Telegraph. Their headline said it all:
"Clegg shifts to right."