I said that my objective is to double the number of MPs in parliament over two elections. So it’s a two election strategy; I’m in this for the long term perspective and I think that if we succeed in this—when we succeed in this—it will change politics for good. We will have broken what is in my view a suffocating pattern of two-party politics which has narrowed opportunity, narrowed choice in British politics for far too long. IS THE WORST PART OF POLITICS HAVING TO DO INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE LIKE US? No no, I genuinely enjoy it, and I assure you there are plenty of people who have made my life a lot more uncomfortable than you have. I mean that generously to you, by the way. SURE, DO YOU FEEL YOU’VE ENJOYED YOUR MOVE INTO POLITICS?
Look, it’s a rough old business, you can’t take things personally because it can get quite nasty, and aggressive. But the only thing that keeps you going in politics, and the only point in going into politics in my opinion (well, there are those, particularly in the Labour and Conservative parties who basically go into politics because they want the chauffer driven car, but you don’t go into the Liberal Democrats purely because you want to run some ministry, it’s not a sort of ‘bums on seats’ thing, it never has been) I think what does keep you going in politics, without wanting to seem too sentimental about this, is that you passionately believe in something. There’s no point going into politics unless you want to change things, in what you think will be a better, liberal direction, and I genuinely believe that a bigger and stronger Liberal Democrat party will lead Britain to being a more liberal place. V
NICK CLEGG’S FACTS OF LIFE Born 7 January 1967 Has studied at three universities: Robinson College, Cambridge (reading Arch & Anth); Minnesota and College D’Europe. He was elected as a member of the European Parliament in 1999 Was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats on 18 December 2007 Loves the outdoors; especially skiing and mountaineering Speaks Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish. Has been a part-time lecturer at Sheffield University and a guest lecturer at Cambridge. Founder of the cross-party Campaign for Parliamentary Reform. Proposed a Freedom Bill to fight against the storage of the DNA of innocent people, the introduction of Identity Cards, and excessive counter-terrorism legislation. He has campaigned for prison reform, a liberal approach to immigration, and defended the Human Rights Act. Does not believe in God Told GQ magazine in May 2008 that he had slept with “no more than 30” women. Lad.
ATION. THINK ABOUT MEASURING YOUR LIFE WITH SINGLE SERVING COFFEE STIRRRERS. THINK ABOUT YOUR