Clegg and Referenda

Ok – here’s a special treat for political anoraks – and given the size and longevity of the current stooshie over Scotland’s independence referendum, that could be more than the usual 5 blokes.

On the BBC programme I used to do for the BBC Riddoch Questions I interviewed Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg in Feb 2008. He had just chosen to walk out of a parliamentary debate over not getting a referendum on staying in Europe. Yip – seems obscure. But stay with me. I used the opportunity to gently (ok fairly robustly) suggest that Scots might prefer to have a referendum on independence or more powers for Scotland....and to see some UK leadership from the Lib Dems on a federal Britain. Boy was I nippy back then! Anyway its particularly interesting given the current debate where Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband are lined up full square behind David Cameron opposing independence even though they DO want “substantial devolution of powers.” Here's the audio.

Nick Clegg from 29 Feb 2008

 

Comments

[cynicalHighlander]

Hi Lesley after listening to that interview with Nick Clegg shows that they are all talk with no substance whatsoever, I think the assumed old Indian saying that "White man speak with forked tongue" fits theLibDems to a tee.

We certainly miss you on radio Scotland as it has gone down rapidly since your removal into a very 'cosy' club with a very biased intention.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01986s4/Newswatch_13_01_2012/

I will listen R4 from Musselburgh later as I believe it was a good 'feisty' affair.

[Gortch]

The behaviour of the lib dems is scandalous on this issue. Not for the first time, the so called party of principle shows itself so easily bought and sold for a few token jobs in government -- we remember how they sold students down the river on tuition fees when they got cosy with Scottish labour. Now the grubbing little lackey Moore comes up here issuing threats and scaremongering on behalf of the Tories. His behaviour in particular I would call treasonous. It will never be forgotten and I look forward to the lib dems being relegated to history just as the Tories were in Scotland.