Dick of the year: Nick Clegg
This is a nomination for the Bright Green #dick2010 award from Derek Wall
The financial crisis buried free market economics but now, paradoxically, we have a government dedicated to marketising everything. The gains of the 1945 Labour government, ironically shaped by liberals like Keynes and Beveridge, from comprehensive education to the NHS are all under threat.
The sole reason that we have a government that can so boldly cut and restructure is because of Nick Clegg’s decision to lead his Liberal Democrats into government with Cameron. Cameron fought on neo-liberal policies and didn’t win enough votes to govern, votes who voted Liberal Democrat did not vote for harsh neo-liberal policies but their votes guaranteed a right wing government with real power.
Clegg has helped destroy the left and green traditions in the Liberal Democrats. However his biggest crime was to use lies to gain votes (most visible over student fees) and power. He acted as an X factor politician with promises of a new politics, rejection of back room deals, only to give us all a more unequal and unhappy future in the most sordid back room deal of all.
This could be the one poll that a Liberal Democrat might actually win, so vote for Nick Clegg as dick of the year.
Well John go out and canvass for Nick Clegg in this contest!
I despise this opportunist moron and his shabby party of chancers, charlatans and opportunists more than I can express in words.