Comments on: It’s time for the Liberal Democrats to devolve power to Nick Clegg http://www.northumbrian.org.uk/nick-clegg/ adventitious comms, tech, and music Thu, 05 Aug 2010 09:47:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: James Graham http://www.northumbrian.org.uk/nick-clegg/comment-page-1/#comment-73 James Graham Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:52:46 +0000 http://www.northumbrian.org.uk/?p=173#comment-73 What this conference has taught us is not that the party is ill-disciplined but that the leadership is. Leaving aside the fact that it is too late for even more centralisation before the general election, if I were in a position to change things I would be arguing for winding up the centralisation of the past year, not going up a gear. If Nick wants command, he has to earn it. He didn't get elected pledging to tear up the party's internal democracy and he got a tiny mandate. Playing stunts like briefing against his own policy committee after managing to agree a carefully worded compromise is simply childish. And the idea that Cable's mansion tax would have been more thought through if only he had consulted LESS people about it is Alice in Wonderland stuff. What this conference has taught us is not that the party is ill-disciplined but that the leadership is. Leaving aside the fact that it is too late for even more centralisation before the general election, if I were in a position to change things I would be arguing for winding up the centralisation of the past year, not going up a gear.

If Nick wants command, he has to earn it. He didn’t get elected pledging to tear up the party’s internal democracy and he got a tiny mandate. Playing stunts like briefing against his own policy committee after managing to agree a carefully worded compromise is simply childish. And the idea that Cable’s mansion tax would have been more thought through if only he had consulted LESS people about it is Alice in Wonderland stuff.

]]> By: Jennie http://www.northumbrian.org.uk/nick-clegg/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Jennie Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:10:10 +0000 http://www.northumbrian.org.uk/?p=173#comment-72 The only one of those I would support would be the ability to discipline MPs/MSPs. The idea that the leader determines the running order of conference, and can make policy of his/her own bat? No. No way. If we're not a democratic party, we are NOTHING. Thanks for the linkies, though. The only one of those I would support would be the ability to discipline MPs/MSPs.

The idea that the leader determines the running order of conference, and can make policy of his/her own bat? No. No way. If we’re not a democratic party, we are NOTHING.

Thanks for the linkies, though.

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