Nick Cleg u-turns on economy too


by Sunny Hundal    
10:00 am - May 23rd 2012

Tweet       Share on Tumblr

After two years of issuing “lurid” warnings on the deficit, Nick Clegg says the coalition is about to embark on a new strategy based on optimism, investment and growth. It is the clearest admission yet by a senior minister that Britain – like the rest of Europe – is tired of austerity.

The new strategy took shape in Downing Street earlier this month, as senior ministers grappled with adouble dip recession and how to respond to the election of François Hollande, the French Socialist who captures a pan-European craving for a new approach.

Having snubbed Mr Hollande on a visit to London in February, Mr Cameron now portrays the French president as a fiscal moderate pursuing sensible growth policies. Mr Clegg goes even further: “I personally massively welcome the arrival of Hollande on to the scene.”

The Downing Street meeting, chaired by Mr Cameron, agreed to a midterm shift in the coalition’s emphasis from austerity to growth, backed by a new push to get the economy moving.

…more at the FT

  Tweet   Share on Tumblr   submit to reddit  


About the author
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
· Other posts by


Story Filed Under: News ,top


Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


Reader comments


1. Galen10

It is safe to assume that we will see a lot more of this as the next GE looms. Clegg and his dwindling bunch of acolytes will be more and more desperate to put distance between themselves and the failed policies they have helped implement in the past 24 months the closer we get to 2015. The LD conversion to the necessity to cut hard and fast in the 5 days of May in 2010 must rank up there with Paul’s experiences on the road to Damascus.

Of course, it hasn’t worked as many warned them at the time. Simply another example of the supine LD’s swallowing Tory policy whole.

We can expect little better of the LD’s; the question is whether they will be in a position to have any influence over the outcome of the next GE, and if so can they be trusted. I reckon we already know the answer to those questions.

2. Steven

He says it’s not Plan B. So is it Plan A and a half or has Plan B been skipped and we are on Plan C?

3. Cylux

So France gets a new president, and suddenly it’s time for a change from austerity? Was Sarkozy telling Georgey boy what to do or something?

4. Barrie J

Quote: “I personally massively welcome the arrival of Hollande on to the scene.”

Clegg would ‘massively welcome’ the Four Horsemen of the Apolcalypse if he thought it might positively affect his personality ratings.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    Nick Cleg u-turns on economy too http://t.co/370EkFEH

  2. Jason Brickley

    Nick Cleg u-turns on economy too http://t.co/1M3VkYXj

  3. Alex Braithwaite

    Nick Cleg u-turns on economy too | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/uS9hYGNK via @libcon

  4. leftlinks

    Liberal Conspiracy – Nick Cleg u-turns on economy too http://t.co/mfwWlhEl

  5. BevR

    Nick Cleg u-turns on economy too | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/GNt87t83 via @libcon

  6. paul and lynn hewitt

    Nick Cleg u-turns on economy too | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/GNt87t83 via @libcon





Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.