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This page represents only my own views, and not those of any university or other body.

Posted Friday 9th December 2011 at 6.08pm
"Politics is for boring losers. I like fast cars and ladies!" says UK prime minister
I'm paraphrasing, admittedly. But...

"I don't actually think the world is waiting with bated breath about what was the exact nature of the institutional relationship. I don't believe they're sitting in the trading rooms wondering whether there's going to be a new reverse QMV article on integrated budget setting of blah, blah, blah."

That's a genuine quote. Oh dear, David. All this talk about how we couldn't introduce a financial transactions tax without everyone else agreeing, and it turns out that not only are we (i.e. you) the only ones in Europe not agreeing, but we (i.e. you) are willing to toss away our place at the table in Europe just to protect our banks from taxes. And how do you explain this decision to the country? Basically by saying "they used long words and long words are stupid!" I've never been more embarrassed to be British.

There's also a good article in the Guardian by Marina Hyde about Nick Clegg's position.

Of more ghoulish fascination, though, is the next Lib Dem manifesto. What could this document possibly include? There are whole areas that in any sane universe it would be literally too embarrassing to mention, and given that these include major planks of what used to be called Liberal Democrat policy, such as Europe and education, I've genuinely no idea where they'll go with this one. Blank pages? Something nice and inclusive about fish? The mere fact of something appearing as a Liberal Democrat manifesto pledge has come to symbolise that it is terminally doomed as an idea. Perhaps the best way to eradicate poverty would be to draft up a Lib Dem manifesto commitment to perpetuating it.



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Comments

Posted Monday 12nd December 2011 at 1.26pm
Melina says:
I like it!


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