Do the Liberal Democrats see Nick Clegg as an election liability? That is the conclusion that parts of the party leave you with as it is reported his image is being left off of local election leaflets.
A year ago his image was everywhere. People were agreeing with him. There was an orange revolution in the air. How quickly times change as The Guardian reports:
Wind forward 12 months and there are no pictures of Clegg. The editors of an edition of the Lib Dem Focus freesheet have decided not to remind voters that Hallam has elected Britain’s deputy prime minister as it runs the following headline on its front page: “Work starts on Stannington Park.” The leaflet was published on the centre left blog Political Scrapbook.
A spokesman for Clegg said: “This is just one leaflet from a huge number put out by Liberal Democrats across Sheffield, including another that went out at the same time with Nick’s image on the front and the back. It’s a local election. Some of our leaflets feature Nick and national issues, while others focus more on local issues and the fantastic work our local councillors are doing.”
Clegg’s toxicity levels show no signs of falling. The big question will come in a couple of years time when Clegg has to face the electorate again. Could he still win in Sheffield or will he be shunted to a safe (safer) Lib Dem seat?
Coinciding with the news that Clegg is being left off of leaflets was the decision by the University of Sheffield to charge the full £9,000 allowed in student tuition fees. That is really going to hurt.
Professor Keith Burnett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: “We now face a real challenge not of our choosing, but one which we owe it to future students to accept. At a time when many sectors of society are feeling the impact of cuts and young people are increasingly concerned about employment and debt, we must effectively deliver and communicate the positive worth of university. We will not do this by underestimating what this investment will mean to graduates, but rather by championing an education which is worthy of that investment.”
