Wednesday 26th March: Clegg v Farage TV Debate (Round One)

[dbgtz]

NEWS ALERT - PARTY LEADER IS TRYING TO mattGARNER SUPPORT IN A WAY THAT WAS REALLY SUCCESSFUL LAST TIME THEY DID IT!

My point was the only reason he's doing it is the only reason he's doing it is for his own agenda whereas Farage has personalised the issue. This is Clegg riding the train so expect him to be crap hence "trying".

I would hardly say it was really successful last time. Maybe successful for some Lib Dem cabinet members bank accounts.

[The Don]

My point was the only reason he's doing it is the only reason he's doing it is for his own agenda whereas Farage has personalised the issue. This is Clegg riding the train so expect him to be crap hence "trying".

I would hardly say it was really successful last time. Maybe successful for some Lib Dem cabinet members bank accounts.

How has Farage personalised the issue when his entire political agenda is to get out of the EU? They are both doing the debate for political gain, nothing more.

[GommeInc]

I would hardly say it was really successful last time. Maybe successful for some Lib Dem cabinet members bank accounts.

At the very least some spin doctor who managed to get someone to literally try selling manure to horses - before that someone realised he cannot stick by those promises and then a few years later appear on TV apologising for being a failure, and then be remixed into a music video using auto-tune

How has Farage personalised the issue when his entire political agenda is to get out of the EU? They are both doing the debate for political gain, nothing more.

It's a policy his party supports and is a policy that is of concern to the general public. Clegg is just doing it because he's a failed politician trying to claw back some respect. His party is completely split over the matter and shortly after the debates were announced his party even said that they would considered renegotiating the relationship the UK has with the EU. It seems to be just Clegg arguing for continued Union, his party is rather quiet over the matter if not completely oblivious to it.

[-:Undertaker:-]

People shouldn't count Clegg out, he did extremely well in the Prime Minister debates during the last General Election. And as much as Dan likes to make everyone here think otherwise there are actually two sides to the argument. Although I'm sure he'll post some pro-UKIP blog declaring Farage the winner I suspect it'll actually be pretty evenly divided, which is good actually because getting the facts out into the open is great for everyone.

Uh well no actually, you are wrong there. I only posted this thread to let people know the debate was on tommorow - I don't think i've given an opinion on who I think will win although naturally I will probably think Farage has won unless he really messes up and puts his foot in it.

I actually think both will come away as winners in the debate in terms of performance: Clegg is clearly trying to position himself and his party as the party of being in (which will appeal to pro-EU members of the public) and Farage the opposite. That's why I think Clegg proposed the debate in the first place.

In terms of the debate itself rather than performance, as somebody who wants out: i'll come away thinking Farage has crushed Clegg in terms of whether or not the European Union is good for Britain or not.

In terms of party politics, all Farage has to do is walk in there and hold this up and he's won it if you ask me -

Peformance, both will probably win.

Actual debate, I can't see Farage losing the argument to Clegg on EU good or bad.

[Sian]

I'm actually looking forward to this, it's about time someone gave Clegg a proper running through, I'm not a fan of Farage at all, but he will definitely make a good go at collapsing Clegg.

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://order-order.com/

Has Nick Clegg been using civil service resources for party political preparation for tonight’s debate against Nigel Farage? He is not appearing at the LBC Debate in his capacity as Deputy Prime Minister rather, as a LibDem spokesman told Guido this morning: “Tonight is the leaders’ debate so Nick is appearing as the Leader of of the Liberal Democrat Party”. It’s a very political event…

As Deputy Prime Minister Clegg is allowed to request factual briefings on government policy whenever he likes, yet sources familiar with the situation have indicated to Guido that they believe he has strayed beyond this and into party political territory. “He’s asking for all sorts of things, beyond government policy on Europe”, one told Guido this morning. It is believed by some that the briefings have been prepared to back up attack lines on UKIP – a big no, no for civil servants.

Nick Clegg’s spokesman denies that they have done anything wrong, but did confirm that civil servants have briefed the DPM for this specific political event:

“Nick Clegg is Deputy Prime Minister as well as Leader of the Liberal Democrats. He is regularly briefed on all aspects of Government policy, including Europe, before public appearances, such as DPMQs or Call Clegg on LBC. It is very likely that during the debates he be asked about Coalition Government policies and the relationship between the British Government, of which he is Deputy Prime Minister, and the European Union. To that end, he has been given factual briefings and facts and figures on Coalition Government policy and how the EU works in relation to Britain. But the briefings for the debates are being done by political advisers and HQ staff.”

Guido has requested a copy of all the debate preparation from the Cabinet Office under the Freedom of Information Act.

It is worth noting that the ‘General Principle’ of the Ministerial Code states:

“Facilities provided to Ministers at Government expense to enable them to carry out their official duties should not be used for Party or constituency work.”

Point 6.3 makes things a little clearer:

“Official facilities and resources may not be used for the dissemination of material which is essentially party political.”

Should it emerge that Clegg used civil servant briefings on issues beyond government policy on Europe to prepare for tonight’s debate then Guido cannot see how he has not fallen foul of this point.

And now Labour are making enquiries too...

Labour Complain to Cabinet Office Over Clegg ‘Stitch Up’

Nick Clegg’s use of civil service resources to prep for tonight’s debate with Nigel Farage is escalating into a full blown row, with Labour writing to the Cabinet Office permanent secretary to demand answers:

Dear Mr Heaton,

I am writing in response to allegations that the Deputy Prime Minister may have been assisted in his preparations for ‘The LBC Leaders’ Debate’ tonight, in which he is participating in his capacity as Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

As you will know, this debate is a purely party political matter being contested between two Party Leaders in advance of European elections on May 22nd. Indeed, Mr Clegg makes clear that he is participating on behalf of his party in his article in the Daily Mirror today when he says, “Liberal Democrats want Britain to stay in the EU because we are fighting for Britain”.

A Liberal Democrat spokesman has told the website Guido Fawkes:

“[Mr Clegg] has been given factual briefings and facts and figures on Coalition Government policy and how the EU works in relation to Britain.”

If it is the case that work has been commissioned by Nick Clegg or his office from civil servants for the purposes of preparation for ‘The LBC Leaders’ Debate’, Mr Clegg may be in breach of the Ministerial Code, which states:

6.1 Facilities provided to Ministers at Government expense to enable them to carry out their official duties should not be used for Party or constituency work.

6.3 Official facilities and resources may not be used for the dissemination of material which is essentially party political.

In light of this, it is a matter of urgency that we are given reassurances that all rules have been followed and so I would be grateful if you would answer the following questions:

- What information has been requested by Nick Clegg or members of his staff from civil servants regarding how the EU works in relation to Britain over the last month, and have these requests increased compared to previous months?

- How many civil servants and from what Departments have provided written or verbal briefing to Mr Clegg regarding how the EU works in relation to Britain over the last month and for what purposes?

- How many meetings with civil servants has Mr Clegg had in the last month regarding how the EU works in relation to Britain, from which Departments and for what purposes?

- How many civil servants, from what Departments and over what duration have knowingly provided support for Mr Clegg in preparation for tonight’s ‘The LBC Leaders’ Debate’?

It would be deeply serious if the Leader of the Liberal Democrats were found to have used his senior government position to benefit from taxpayer-funded resources in advance of a political debate to further his electioneering interests.

Yours sincerely,

Sheila Gilmore MP

A UKIP spokesperson tells Guido this is an “establishment stitch up”. We could get to the truth if someone were to ask Clegg what happened this evening…

O-oh Clegg.

[Kardan]

I agree that Clegg did very well in the leader debates a few years back, I just don't think he's going to convince many people against UKIP's main policy.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Godfrey Bloom MEP was on LBC earlier talking about a previous debate he had with Clegg at a university a few years back.

Interesting take.

[The Don]

Godfrey Bloom MEP was on LBC earlier talking about a previous debate he had with Clegg at a university a few years back.

Interesting take.

8 views, how exactly have you found that?

[GommeInc]

<schnip>
Godfrey Bloom MEP was on LBC earlier talking about a previous debate he had with Clegg at a university a few years back.

Interesting take.

He was on BBC News 24 earlier discussing it too. What I find fascinating is that they both went to school together. Either Clegg is older than he looks or Bloom has aged terribly.