Nick Clegg

{{cquote|I'm sorry|||Nick Clegg apologising for breaking an election pledge}}

[[File:Nick_Clegg_-_Crop.jpg|thumb|165px|[[David Cameron|Dave]] lends Nick a tie.]]{{UKpolitics}}
'''"I Agree With" 
Old
 Sir Nick Clegg''' {{lived|1967|}} is a former [[United Kingdom|UK]] politician and leader of the [[Liberal Democrats]], the perennial third political party of the United Kingdom, from 2007 to 2015, and Deputy Prime Minister in the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Tory]]-led government from 2010 to 2015. The radical [[Slacktivism|student population]] of Britain, showing their usual [[Zero|nuanced understanding]] of politics, believe his real name is [[Judas Iscariot]].<ref>http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/2010/09/nick-clegg-greeted-by-calls-of-judas-in-sheffield-protest/</ref> [https://web.archive.org/web/20140314234543/http://labourlist.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/clegg-tuition-fees-pledge.jpg This] photo is going to haunt him for the rest of his natural life.

A relative newcomer to high-profile politics, Clegg was elected to the Commons in 2005 as MP for Sheffield Hallam, after previously sitting in the [[EU|European Parliament]] as MEP for the East Midlands; he then took the reins of his party in 2007. Much to the disgust of the ''[[Daily Heil]]'',<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1266826/The-United-Nations-Nick-Clegg.html Call the whambulance!]</ref> Clegg is a [[Multiculturalism|cosmopolitan]] chap, complete with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] mother and [[Spanish]] wife, and being fluent in [[German]], Spanish, [[French]] and Dutch. But he is best remembered - if he's remembered at all - for breaking all his campaign promises and becoming a lapdog for one of the worst [[David Cameron|neo-Thatcherite prime ministers in the UK]]. By becoming Dave's deputy, Clegg enabled the start of what would later become the single most far right government since Thatcher herself. 

==Previous history==
Prior to the [[United Kingdom general election, 2010|2010 GE]], practically no one knew who Nick Clegg was, with the name being just vaguely associated with a long string of Lib Dem who wasn't, you know, whatshisname, or whoever, or that [[alcoholic]] one, or that really old bloke with the funny name, or the guy who shared his surname with [[John F. Kennedy|a more famous Kennedy]] (or was that the alcoholic?). His significance came from being a fresh-faced third-party politician who was allowed to publicly debate [[David Cameron|Cameron]] and [[Gordon Brown|Brown]]. His pwning of both made him a rising star.

==Con-Dem Nation== 
Following his showing on the first leaders' debates he went from being an unknown to being the most popular leader since [[Churchill]],<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/vote_2010/popular+clegg+compared+to+churchill/3617787 It says here]</ref> by virtue of a single TV debate, in which he was less terrible than Brown attempting to smile or a David Cameron 2-D hologram. He also did well in the second and third TV debates.

He promised "no more broken promises" and that he would "break the mould of British politics" (they always promise this). Clegg also promised to block tuition fees. What he meant to say was ''no tuition fees if we win this election.'' He didn't expect to end up in a coalition. 

The Lib Dems actually got ''fewer'' seats in the election itself, despite increasing their share of the vote. First Past The Post does things like that. A lot. (If there were proportional representation, most of the most recent governments of Britain would have had to rely on some form of coalition, most likely with the Lib Dems.) Following the election, there was no outright winner and there was a slightly confused period of negotiation followed by Clegg acting as Kingmaker in the 2010 election.

==Ousting==
{{cquote|All it does is produce more Labour voters.|||[[David Cameron|Callmedave]] on affordable housing<ref>Grice, Andrew, [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nick-clegg-accuses-conservatives-of-rigging-the-rules-in-attempt-to-create-one-party-state-a6896086.html "Nick Clegg accuses Conservatives of 'rigging the rules' in attempt to create 'one-party state'"], ''Independent'' 2.25.16.</ref>}}

In power, they did much to moderate the Conservatives, but since they were small in comparison — with Labour in support of many Tory policies — there was only so much they could do. The Lib Dems were destroyed in the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]]. Most of their voters had become disillusioned with the "[[neoliberal]]" drift of the party since Clegg became leader. In essence, the Lib Dems were seen as [[Scapegoat|enablers]]. Clegg defended his record as necessary to stabilize the economy — before resigning.

Every time you read something about regressive changes to Britain's economy; forcing housing associations to sell to private brokers, cutting benefits for poor families, quietly scrapping poverty/environmental targets ([[Small government|"red tape"]]), raising tuition fees, privatising schools, reducing service levels in the NHS, or removing workers' rights — that is what the Tories always wanted. That is what Britain would have had in 2010, were it not for the Liberal Democrats.

==Current status==
In October 2018 Clegg was hired by [[Facebook]] (now Meta) as the head of its global affairs and communications team.<ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45913587</ref> Just like [[Tony Blair]] and [[David Cameron]] before him, he eventually followed the money. He announced that he would step down from Meta in 2025. Not short of a few bob, it was reported in the same year that he had sold some $18.4m (£14.8m) of his Meta shares, while retaining a holding worth $21m.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/03/nick-clegg-has-sold-almost-19m-in-meta-shares-since-joining-facebook-in-2018 Nick Clegg has sold almost $19m in Meta shares since joining Facebook in 2018] ''The Guardian'', 3 January, 2025</ref>

==Quotes==
The [[Scotland|Scottish]] Tory leader Annabel Goldie<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z94CgVyE5Xo</ref> described him as an "immensely irritating" and "tiresome" insect.<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/19/scottish-tories-attack-nick-clegg</ref> But then, she would.

His coalition partner, David Cameron, was once asked for his favourite political joke. He replied, "Nick Clegg, at the moment."<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7567513.stm</ref> He took this back when he desperately needed Nick to get in the door of Number 10, surprisingly enough.

==External links==
*[http://www.libdems.org.uk/splash.aspx Liberal Democrats] Official website
*[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3104124/Nick-Clegg-banned-entering-Russia-Former-deputy-PM-named-confidential-list-89-European-politicians-military-leaders-refused-entry-country.html Nick Clegg Banned From Russia] - In Soviet Russia, tuition scrap YOU.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

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Categories: British people, British politicians, Atheists, Liberals, Living people, Former Members of Parliament (UK)