So, the scores on the doors:
16 mentions of Labour.
4 mentions of the Conservatives.
0 for Tory or Tories.
3 mentions of Ed Miliband.
1 mention of Gordon Brown.
0 mentions of David Cameron.
Tim Farron called for a divorce from the Conservatives.
Chris Huhne compared them to the US Tea Party.
But Nick Clegg did not make a single directly-negative comment about his coalition partners.
It was intended as mature politics – and in a sense it was.
Yet it also left a hole in his speech, as though he was holding something back.
Sources close to Nick Clegg tell me the speech was more or less written a week ago. So the decision not to make it about coalition politics was very deliberate.
Clegg's main message was that it is "not easy, but right" for the Liberal Democrats to be in government. He mentioned this seven times. Yet not once did he suggest that the reason coalition is 'not easy' is because of the Conservatives.
Labour got plenty of airtime though.
Ed Balls and Ed Miliband were described as Gordon Brown's "backroom boys".
"The two Eds, behind the scenes, lurking in the shadows, always plotting, always scheming, never taking responsibility," he told the hall. "At this time of crisis what Britain needs is real leadership. This is no time for the back room boys."
It instantly reminded me of Gordon Brown's "this is no time for a novice". But I am not sure that was deliberate.
Labour's record on the economy was the subject of a fair few paragraphs in Clegg's speech. As was the party's "vested interests".
"Of all the claims Ed Miliband has made, the most risible is that his party is the enemy of vested interests. While we were campaigning for change in the banking system, they were on their prawn cocktail offensive in the City. While we’ve led the charge against the media barons, Labour has cowered before them for decades… And today Labour is in hock to the trade union barons."
That went down very well with his audience (to the extent that he had to stop the long applause with "Ok, ok, ok. I get it. You agree with that").
There was also one major policy announcement.
A two-week summer school to help children between primary and secondary school catch up in maths and English. It is a £50m investment. But it has already been budgeted as part of the pupil premium. So it is not entirely new.
It was on the future of children in this country where Clegg was strongest. Angry, passionate, emotional. It was the best part of his speech.
His confidence conjured memories of his 'I agree with Nick' heyday before the election.
"By the time the two year-olds we help next year come to vote, I’ll be 60. Even possible I won't be leader by then. Or that's what I've told Miriam. So why are we doing it, when it costs so much and takes so long? Because investing early makes such a huge difference, especially for the poorest children: Not easy, but right."
Was it Clegg's best speech ever? No, I don't think so.
But it did the job.
It reminded people that Clegg is in it for the long-haul.
That he is the kind of politician that would rather lose some political ground to make larger social gains that last beyond his career.
"Nation before party," as Clegg put it.
He is making decisions in the national interest – putting our interests above his.
But will the nation return the favour and vote Lib Dem?
Because that's what really matters.
Comments
Be the first to comment on this article!