Nick Clegg’s end-of-conference speech is widely panned by the commentariat.

The Daily Mail writes it off as “tedious” and “full of vacuous clichés”.

Andrew Pierce admits it was 

The dullest one I have attended in more than 20 years.

The FT’s Matthew Engel complains it lasted a long 40 minutes – like a maths class at school.

As we all know, Nick Clegg is no philospher. He is an actor who, from time to time, fluffs his lines.

Three years ago, almost to the day, the clueless Clegg blurted out that the State pension was “about thirty quid” when it was in fact over three times that figure.

Since then I’ve never been able to take him seriously.

Meanwhile, I see that former Lib Dem Treasury Minister David Laws is calling for the 50p top rate of tax to be scrapped.

Clegg disagrees. But that could easily change.

In 2008, Clegg said the 50p tax rate - which the Lib Dems proposed in their 2005 General Election campaign - could be ditched because other tax measures could raise an equivalent sum.

Back in 2006, the wizened, bad tempered Lib Dem peer, Baron Tony Greaves of Pendle, famously described David Laws as a Tory.

A perceptive observation that has stood the test of time.

Web Wars

The Americanisation of Canadian politics continues.

A rash of attack web sites, designed to smear opponents, is polluting the provincial election here in Ontario where voters go to the polls on October 6.

The Liberal leader, Dalton McGuinty, is going for a third term as Premier and the Conservatives are out to get him. They claim he is subsidising "foreign workers" at the expense of people already here. 

The Liberals respond by going for the Conservative leader, Tim Hudak. And, for good measure, they try to trash the NDP.

The left leaning NDP tries to rise above it all with a plea to “stop the smears”.

Prissy? Possibly.

But I think it's good politics.

Out and about in Aurora

Today, I am out with the NDP candidate, Robin Wardlaw, meeting the voters. We get a very good reception.

Robin is impressive on the doorstep. He is friendly with an easy manner, making it clear where he stands on the issues that matter.

Tomorrow, the first of two candidates’ debates. Robin is up against the incumbent, Frank Klees, who has been in the job for 16 years. Then there is the Liberal, Christiana Bisanz and the Green, Kristopher Kuysten.

The NDP platform is attached below.

Attachments:

NDP Plan-for-affordable-change.pdf

[NDP PLatform]

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