Clegg lashes out at the PM
By Ian Dunt
A highly personal attack on Gordon Brown by Nick Clegg in today’s Daily Telegraph casts serious doubt on whether the two men will ever be able to work together in the event of a hung parliament.
“Brown systematically blocked, and personally blocked, political reform,” Mr Clegg wrote.
“I think he is a desperate politician and I just do not believe him.
“And do I think Labour delivered fairness? No. Do I think the Labour party in its heart has a faith in civil liberties? No. Do I think they’ve delivered political reform? No. They are clutching at straws.”
The comments seem to prohibit any future working relationship between the two men, and certainly indicate Mr Clegg would be unwilling to work with Mr Brown if no party were to win a majority at the election.
They also add fuel to the rumours that the Lib Dems would insist on the departure of Mr Brown in the event of a coalition with Labour. Analysts would expect the prime minister to be replaced by foreign secretary David Miliband, who is more tolerable to most Lib Dems.
The Lib Dems could insist on the move for electoral reasons as well. With Mr Brown’s personal popularity so low, a coalition government with him at the head would struggle to survive for five years.
Mr Clegg also spoke out against David Cameron, who has rejected the notion that back room deals may have to form part of the negotiation process in the event of a hung parliament.
I would be open about the fact that, clearly, politicians should be able to speak to each other, Mr Clegg said.
David Cameron doesn’t seem to accept this, but if the British people have voted then of course you have to try and provide good stable government.
The Lib Dem leader, whose popularity continues to shoot up in the polls a week after the TV debate that changed the entire election campaign, laid out his four conditions for a coalition: the party’s tax reform package, the pupil premium, bank reforms and the very specific list of changes to clean up politics.
The Lib Dem’s tax reform would see the point at which people start paying income tax raised to £10,000, taking many low earners out of the tax system altogether. The pupil premium is accepted by both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems, although under different system. The Conservatives would struggle to accept the Lib Dem’s bank reforms, which are far tougher than those offered by other parties.
Whether the Tories could do a deal on parliamentary reform is up for debate. The Lib Dems are committed to far-reaching electoral reform and the Tories implacably opposed to it.
