Friday, March 09, 2012

Nick Clegg to tell Liberal Democrats to stop looking back

The Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader will tell the party's Spring Conference today (Friday):
"We’ve made some difficult decisions, not all of them popular. But we made all of them with only one test in mind: What was the right thing to do for the country? 
"And now it is time to move on. To stop justifying being in Government and start advertising being in Government. To stop lamenting what might have been and start celebrating what is. To stop defending our decisions and start shouting our achievements from the rooftops. 
"We’re in Government, and it is a better Government for it. Fairer, freer and greener. 
"Lower taxes for working people. Fairer chances for our children. And the beginnings of a new, green economy that benefits everyone in every city, not just a few in the City of London. 
"So: no more looking back. You can’t drive if you’re only looking in the rear-view mirror."
Not great oratory, but I think this is the right message. As I said in my final House Points column for Liberal Democrat News, we Liberal Democrats should enjoy being in government, but I am not sure that enough of us do.

And Tim Farron says something similar in an article in today's Guardian:
But there is one thing that many Lib Dems must start to understand. When you join a political party, you must accept that ending up in power is an occupational hazard.

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