Nick Clegg

We congratulate Nick Clegg on his election to the leadership of the LibDems, and wish him well.

He has an uphill task
- his majority was very small, and he was supported by only about 25% of the party membership.
- so far we have heard generalities from him that most people could agree with, but he has now to to attach policies which will carry his party and attract others. (To judge by the experience of David Cameron, the press and others will expect a full range within a year, unless he can extend the "honeymoon".)

As a former member and councillor in the old Liberal Party, I have to say that after three years I gave up trying to discover what the party believed in, and since that time they have been joined by discontented socialists and Social Democrats.

They have never discouraged being regarded as a middle of the way party, and therefore a safe bolt-hole for refugees from both Labour and the Conservatives. Now Mr. Clegg has to lead them and the public to see what it is they actually believe in. Otherwise we shall continue to see them as a rag-bag, all-things-to-all-men set of opportunists. I think that Mr. Clegg has a hard task.