tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post3692088221366994309..comments2024-03-28T22:32:50.562+00:00Comments on Liberal England: Who will be Lib Dem deputy leader and does it matter?Jonathan Calderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-85061008339645949712010-06-01T18:52:30.120+01:002010-06-01T18:52:30.120+01:00Typos fixed.
However busy Nick is with ministeria...Typos fixed.<br /><br />However busy Nick is with ministerial responsibilities, he is not going to give his deputy sole responsibility for party strategy.<br /><br />I like the parallel with Sir Percy Harris. It is a shame his great-grandson cannot be deputy leader.Jonathan Calderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-74206204175969473042010-06-01T17:27:44.831+01:002010-06-01T17:27:44.831+01:00Two things:
(a) "Who was the first leader of...Two things:<br /><br />(a) "Who was the first leader of the Liberal Democrats?" "some ting off" - Typo.<br /><br />(b) "But isn't that task for the leader" - Thinko. Nick and the other ministers have responsibilities to the government and cabinet which compromise their ability to express disagreement with the compromise reached, which runs the risk of having the party's identity undermined. We need a high profile individual to serve as a representative of the LibDems outside of government responsibilities (I hate to say it but, functionally speaking, the deputy leader for the next 5 years will be our equivalent of the chairman of the 1922 committee, albeit with a higher profile).<br /><br />It might make sense for it to be Tim, simply because Simon (and Ming for that matter) already has a high media profile. That said what Simon is suggesting above is exactly what I think we ought to do so if I had a vote (which I don't) I would be backing Simon.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06533540721427232602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-42717598876856384072010-06-01T17:16:24.431+01:002010-06-01T17:16:24.431+01:00I think the best precedent at the moment is the ro...I think the best precedent at the moment is the role played by Sir Percy Harris (who had earlier been MP for Harborough) as deputy leader and chief whip during the Churchill coalition of 1940-45. Harris took reponsibility for the internal workings of the party, especially in relation to policy development, and led the non-ministerial Liberal MPs in the Commons.<br /><br />Part of the difference then, though, was that Liberals within the government weren't really doing any party politicking. This time round, Clegg et al will still be putting the party's case in the media and will still have good reason to attend to party policy development, giving less scope for the deputy leader to develop his own role.Peter Slomannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-46893152553290418232010-06-01T16:05:27.249+01:002010-06-01T16:05:27.249+01:00"But isn't that task for the leader and t..."But isn't that task for the leader and the party's wider democratic structure?"<br /><br />The party leader is a bit busy right now would't you say?NoetiCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05403234052383312082noreply@blogger.com