Fishburn Hedges

16.08.2010

Today Nick Clegg takes up the reins of power while David Cameron holidays in Cornwall.  While Clegg might congratulate himself on being the first Liberal leader at the helm since Lloyd George, he’s probably got more pressing things on his mind.  The Lib Dems are plummeting in the polls and some high-profile backbenchers (such as Simon Hughes) are creating mischief. Clegg will be looking to use his fortnight of power to bolster his party’s fortunes.  But there’s a catch: Cameron might be several hundred miles away but he remains in close control of Government.  Straining against a tight leash, the Deputy PM will have little scope to take big decisions.  Here are some thoughts of where he might act: 

• Electoral reform: with the cost of the referendum proving a distraction, Clegg will want to put the campaign on the front foot and start plugging the benefits of the AV system
• Spending cuts: we can expect Clegg to keep up the tempo of spending cuts but it’s unlikely that he’ll stray into the most sensitive areas, particularly on the defence budget
• Token announcements: the leaked appointment of Alan Milburn as social mobility Tsar has given Clegg a major announcement to deliver on his return from holiday.  Expect some further pre-packaged announcements in the next week to fill the 24-hour news cycle

While it’ll be interesting to see what issues Clegg pursues, I’m far more fascinated by how he reacts to events.  How will he fare if there’s a major international incident and he’s left to field the Government response?  If his stand-in appearance at PMQs a few weeks ago is anything to go by, then it could be eventful couple of weeks...