2015 may seem like it’s a long way away from now, but if you’re reading the signals from Nick Clegg’s Lib Dem 2013 autumn party conference speech right you’ll know that the contenders are already charging their barrels to ramp up to what has now become a three man showdown for the elections. With more than a few nos and a firm stamp on the middle ground it was a show of strength from a party that hasn’t exactly been known for its bite in the past.
There were clearly two main overarching aims to Clegg’s lambasting speech; firstly to win over his party and secondly to set out the party’s stall to the voting public as a credible and useful presence in government. While “news” papers like The Sun and The Daily Mail were never going to warm to whatever Nick Clegg said, the reality is that broadly he’ll be placing a couple of ticks next to the top two items on what’s starting to look like a methodological to-do list.
It’s an easy mistake to make for previous Lib Dem leaders to come out sabre shaking about winning the race, but Clegg’s stance is much more pragmatic – stick with me for the party and make me the custodian for good for the rest of the liberal masses. Credibility in government takes a long time to build up, so it’s possible that the concept of a trailing presence with a hand on the rudder could see the Lib Dems take even more steps towards the fully fledged three party race that they’ve always craved.
What got said
The content of the speech can be boiled down to the following five main points:
Coalition government works! – Hanging a sizeable chunk of his statement on his party’s ability to finish the job of economic recovery fairly, he cites their policy points around infrastructure spending and apprenticeships as contributing factors to the marginal economic upturn we’re currently experiencing under the coalition government.
It’s a big point to try to take some of the credit for, but the problem is that there is still doubt about the ongoing economic recovery due to productivity and average wage figures, so a lot of the clout will depend on the endurance of the recovery and the ability of the party to convince the public that they were a part of the solution.
Family values – With a personal speech about his upbringing, family background and current family life it was an attempt to open up to the party, which seems to have been well received at the conference, as well as making him seem more down to earth by the rest of the public. However, the real power of this will rely on the general reception of the recently announced policy for free school dinners for children in the first three years of school in England.
If this is strong enough for him to pick up on more of the family vote then it could be a big ticket addition to their potential to succeed in the next general election. When you factor in the importance of diet to a child’s development at an early age, the policy has certainly got the possibility to win over some hearts and minds in the very least.
No, No, No, No, No, No – With all manner of No based puns in today’s newspapers everyone’s picked up on all the no responses Nick Clegg had for both Conservative and Labour policies, including tax cuts for millionaires and profits in schools. The point he’s making is that having the Lib Dems in government means some of the more controversial suggestions don’t make it through.
Again it’s a very pragmatic stance as it seems like one that could only ever see them securing more coalition government, but if you compare that to what the Lib Dems had previously that could be seen as another win for the party if they can pull it off.
A wee chat about the Scots – There was a short nod to the upcoming Scottish independence referendum as he reaffirmed the party’s support for devolved decisions in Scotland, but a negative stance on overall independence and the break-up of the United Kingdom as we know it.
Taking the centre stage – Though Nick Clegg’s pragmatic approach to Liberal Democrat inclusion in government is a long way from suggesting PM potential, he does, however, mark their territory in the middle ground of politics. Building on the No No No vibe he points out that their place in coalition keeps the policies away from being too far to the left or too right wing.
Based on the fact that there are a hell of a lot of voters that sit on the fence, not to mention the absent masses, it’s a stand-point that could see the party picking up on the more centrally minded vote as well as some of the not-so-sures.
Tuition fees
A big problem that Clegg will need to deal with before the 2015 elections commence is the lack of popularity he has garnered with students, who previously favoured his tough stance on tuition fees. Though he vociferously stated that he would oppose them during his previous round of election speeches, that eventuality hasn’t come to pass leaving students a little out of sorts with their one-time poster boy.
While there’s an argument for the party’s attempts to make the most out of a compromised situation, students will still find it difficult to just forgive and forget.
Summing up
In general, the speech was a pretty impressive show of strength and unity for a party that has previously been seen as a bit wet and slightly dysfunctional. While Nick Clegg looked like he’d won over the party at the conference, he’s still a long way from convincing enough of the public. A task that we’re sure has numerous actions associated to it in his countdown to-do list.
If you missed the speech the first time around, you can watch it in its entirety below:
