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Nick Clegg has had “lengthy discussions” with senior Labour figures – including Ed Miliband

September 23, 2012 3:01 pm

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Speaking to Andrew Marr this morning, Nick Clegg revealed:

“Grown-up politicians talk to each other across party lines. Over the last few weeks I have had lengthy conversations with Ed Miliband, David Miliband, with Tony Blair, with Peter Mandelson … talking about Europe, talking about political reform.”

So it’s not just Vince Cable who is on texting terms with the Labour hierachy. However we should remember what Ed Miliband has said before about Clegg:

“I would find it difficult to work with him.”

Similarly, Lord Wood – one of Miliband’s closest advisers – was scathing about Clegg’s “apology” on LabourList earlier this week.

DPM Clegg working alongside PM Miliband is surely unthinkable…

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001102865655 John Ruddy

    No, but Nick Clegg being recommended for a commisionership by PM Miliband surely is?

  • Serbitar

    If Nick Clegg were willing to fall on his own sword as leader of the Liberal Democrats quicker than Gordon Brown in respect to his leadership of the Labour Party it could be game-changing… provided he took the rest of the Orange Booker rogues with him!

  • AlanGiles

    You have to keep all your options open. The Coalition might well lose the next election, but that is not to say Labour will win it convincingly. One term governments are rare, and on the last occassion in 1974, Ted Heath lost by a very small margin – considering the state the country was in.

    It might well be that you will need what is left of the LibDems – they certainly won’t have the number of seats they have now, but half a dozen might make  all the difference to you.

    • Peter Carabine

      Well said – times change, the Tory Right has become harder, Glegg may really  regret the marriage, and anyway its the larger group of the  LibDems we are talking about many of whom have bit their tongue for a long time; I do not go in for LibDem bashing when we all know its the Tory party leading the way on the deficit, welfare/health cuts, the demonisation of the poor & the public sector and the increasing social segregation of England’s schooling & the softly, softly approach to tax avoidance by the rich and powerful corporates.

      • Brumanuensis

        Yes, enabled by their orange friends.

        I’m not against a future coalition, but Clegg, Laws and Alexander will have to play no part in it. Farron, Hughes, Davey or even Menzies Campbell we can deal with.

        • AlanGiles

           I agree with you about Laws (especially!) Clegg and Alexander, the latter seems far to eager to wield the knife. What are your views on Dr.Cable?, because I have a feeling he might well end up being their next leader, if only an interim one.

          • Chilbaldi

             We could easily work with former Labour member Dr Cable. Likewise Charlie Kennedy.

          • http://twitter.com/waterwards dave stone

            Kennedy, unfortunately, is a spent force but what on earth is there to be gained from working with Cable?

            Cable is incapable of thinking beyond the consensus, this inability probably explains his complicity with the disaster currently being inflicted upon us.

          • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

            But Kennedy may be one of the LibDem MP’s who has the personal popularity to hold his seat

          • Chilbaldi

             I don’t rate Cable. I was only saying it is ludicrous to say we would be unable to work with the likes of him.

            In an ideal world we wont have to, but he is certainly more palatable than many of his chums.

          • Chilbaldi

             I don’t rate Cable. I was only saying it is ludicrous to say we would be unable to work with the likes of him.

            In an ideal world we wont have to, but he is certainly more palatable than many of his chums.

          • Chilbaldi

             I don’t rate Cable. I was only saying it is ludicrous to say we would be unable to work with the likes of him.

            In an ideal world we wont have to, but he is certainly more palatable than many of his chums.

          • Chilbaldi

             I don’t rate Cable. I was only saying it is ludicrous to say we would be unable to work with the likes of him.

            In an ideal world we wont have to, but he is certainly more palatable than many of his chums.

          • Chilbaldi

             I don’t rate Cable. I was only saying it is ludicrous to say we would be unable to work with the likes of him.

            In an ideal world we wont have to, but he is certainly more palatable than many of his chums.

          • Chilbaldi

             I don’t rate Cable. I was only saying it is ludicrous to say we would be unable to work with the likes of him.

            In an ideal world we wont have to, but he is certainly more palatable than many of his chums.

          • Chilbaldi

             I don’t rate Cable. I was only saying it is ludicrous to say we would be unable to work with the likes of him.

            In an ideal world we wont have to, but he is certainly more palatable than many of his chums.

          • Brumanuensis

            As Mehdi Hasan pointed out three years ago, Cable is nowhere near as saintly as his reputation among some left-wingers might imply: http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2009/09/mehdi-hasan

            Even Lib Dems weren’t sure about him: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/22/problem-vince-cable

          • AlanGiles

             I always felt the LDs were ill advised in letting Charlie Kennedy go. There was almost an air of Victorian thinking there: Churchill, for one, had similar problems and his biographer wrote that, for the last few years of his premiership, he would not get out of bed in the mornings until he had devoured the contents of  bottle of whiskey.

            There are certain things it would be difficult to come bck from, in public life, but this was more illness than bad behaviour.

  • johnproblem

    He’s absolutely right to talk to Ed.  And Ed is absolutely right to talk to him.   Anything to get this lot out.  It is simply obvious that they should size each other up well ahead of E-day.  The Head Prefect and his chums are going to get the chop, but the results of the election (assuming people vote….) may not be decisive and so another coalition is highly possible.  Which would be a step on the road to PR?

  • robertcp

    John, I hope so!  If FPTP cannot deliver single party governments with a majority, we should switch to a better system.  My preference would be STV with 2-3 member seats.  This would be semi-proportional and majority governments should still be possible. 

    It is interesting that Westminster has a coalition government at the moment, while the devolved governments in Scotland and Wales are single party. 

  • Alexwilliamz

    I see no value in forming a coalition with the Lib Dems. I would give their MPs a discounted rate to join the Labour party instead. That way they could form a government with us.

  • https://mikestallard.virtualgallery.com/ Mike Stallard

    Simon Hughes, Nick (the European) Clegg, Vince (Mr Bean) Cable – you are welcome to the lot!

  • http://twitter.com/Ceilidhann Kayleigh Anne

    Forget the Ed talks, I want to know what Clegg’s discussing with Mandelson. 

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