Nick Clegg attacks David Cameron over European veto

[pampango]

Source: BBC

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has launched an attack on David Cameron for isolating the UK in Europe with his veto of changes to the EU treaty.

Sources close to the Liberal Democrat leader said he felt the failed negotiations over the eurozone crisis had left the UK Europe's "lonely man".

It now looks likely that all 26 other members of the European Union will agree to a new "accord" setting out tougher budget rules aimed at preventing a repeat of the current eurozone crisis.

The Independent on Sunday quotes a source "close to Mr Clegg", as saying: "Nick certainly doesn't think this is a good deal for Britain, for British jobs or British growth. "It leaves us isolated in Europe and that is not in our national interest. Nick's fear is that we become the lonely man of Europe.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16129004

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Looks like the coalition in the UK may be weakening. :)

[Ken Burch]

1. Then again, what can Clegg do?

If he breaks with Cameron and manages to force an election(which I'm not sure he can under the coalition pact)the LibDems are going to have massive losses in seats and votes...possibly taking them back to the support levels the old Liberals had in the Sixties.

If he stays in the coalition, the LibDems probably also get screwed either way...they lose votes to Labour at the next election if things go badly, they lose them to the Tories if things go well.

Clearly, joining that coalition has turned out to be the worst choice Clegg could possibly have made. He should have kept the LibDems out of it and decided whether they'd back Cameron in a minority government on an issue-by-issue basis.

[T_i_B]

2. It's amazing really...

how many of the policies that have been central to the Lib Dems have been flushed down the toilet. The Lib Dems have been complicit with disastrous policies on health and even more so on education, where the scale of Clegg's U-turn has massively discredited his party.

There has been a referendum on electoral reform, but the Lib Dem run campaign for a yes vote was a total shambles and as such they suffered a crushing defeat on the issue that matter most to them.

And now this. The Lib Dem's have been massive Europhiles since the 1950's. It's one of the biggest things that separates them from the other parties and now they are being asked to go along with Cameron doing something that goes against everything they have ever said on the subject.

The coalition has been a disaster for the Lib Dems. They have lost all credibility and this is just another nail in their coffin.

[truebrit71]

4. With Cleggy getting into bed with Camerwrong, he has essentially destroyed his own party...

...He should have forced Camerwrong and his Old Etonian buddies to govern as a minority government..Instead he sold his soul, and that of his party, for a place at the kiddies table on xmas day...

Quite possibly one of the worst political decisions in British parliamentary history...

[Bill Anolon]

3. The LibDems started out as a "centrist" party...

...sandwiched in between the Tories and Labour. But since Tony Blair, Labour has moved to the center and occupies the same political space as the LibDems, who are now redundant, except on a few issues.