Yes he did, I know its true, I read it in the paper..... in fact, if I recall correctly I think the original quote was that "During a visit to Bristol, Nick Clegg ate...." and somewhere else, in the classifieds on page 58 in the bottom right corner, it said "My Hamster cage is for sale". However the point is that even if Nick claims my quote was "taken out of context" that doesn't neccessary mean its not true, because as Cllr Mark Wright says ""Taken out of context" is the automatic response of someone who has said something stupid but won't apologise for it." unless, of course, I have taken him out of context.
Lib-Dem councillor Neil Harrison is apparently, like many other Lib-Dems (nearly a million of them according to the Lib-Dem voice), a Daily Mail reader, and so when he saw this article he immediately expressed outrage.
Chris Hutt, who (I hope he doesn't mind me saying) is a little bit older and much wiser than young Neil, has seen all this sort of thing before and thus decided to base his opinion on more firmer ground, and thus viewed (and provided a link to) the original video (Caroline's comments are 14 minutes in). Chris also has the advantage that unlike Neil and, of course, Caroline and myself, he does not represent a particular party. I have my own views on Caroline's remarks but I suggest you watch the video, make up your own mind, and then decide whether the Daily Mail (and Neil) have drawn a valid conclusion.
Meanwhile, while Neil was directing everybody's attention to Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg was in Bristol cleaning windows to get some attention - poor guy. Unlike, I suspect, Neil (perhaps he can correct me on that), I have actually met Nick Clegg - he is a nice guy, witty and intelligent, he also reads the Independent rather than the Daily Mail, or at least that was the paper he was reading when I last met him. When I first met him he occasionally let his heart lead his head and allowed his personality to shine through and was thus prone to the occasional "gaffe". Apparently, since then, the "image makeover" people have gotten to work and he now rarely makes gaffes, but has also lost any trace of having a real personality. I guess some in politics will see this as a good thing. I don't and as a Green Party member I hope that the day Caroline gets a visit from the "image makeover" people, she gives them short shrift. Nick Clegg was, and Caroline Lucas is, much more effective when they care more passionately about their policies rather than their media image. If this means they occasionally say things in the heat of the moment - so be it.
Meanwhile I hope the local Lib-Dems were studying Nick's window cleaning technique because if they are going to start slinging a lot of mud around they are going to have to work hard to provide everybody with a clear view of that "openness and transparency" they keep promising us in Bristol.
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"Chris Hutt, who (I hope he doesn't mind me saying) is a little bit older and much wiser than young Neil,.."
ReplyDeleteMuch older and a little bit wiser might be nearer the mark.
The trouble with taking comments out of context and then trying to put words in someone's mouth is that it results in politicians having to be ultra cautious about everything they say, in the manner of Mark Bradshaw. It makes for a very stilted and boring debate which turns people off politics, which can be very dangerous.
Good posts by the way. You're becoming one of the bloggers to watch. I must give you a plug some time.