UK - BORIS JOHNSON LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE

Boris says EU deal to get power back is 'easy' BORIS Johnson last night said it should be “easy” to claim British powers back from Brussels. By Sam Christie / Published 8th August 2014 He urged the Prime Minister to “go hard into the tackle” in his talks with EU leaders. Mr Johnson has been accused by some Tories of trying to set a trap for David Cameron with unrealistic demands for changes in Brussels.  [Cameron's already set that trap, hasn't he?  He was the Juncker challenger recently and he supposedly wants British to have more say.] But the London mayor said: “I’m not so pessimistic. If you don’t go in hard to the tackle, you are never going to come out well. You’ve got to go in hard and low.” This week Mr Johnson announced he is to stand as an MP in the election. While many Tories believe that BoJo is paving the way for a leadership charge, he insisted he was committed to supporting Mr Cameron. He added: “When Dave steps down in 2030 or so, I will be too old. There’ll be a very wide field, probably including babies yet unborn.” Nonetheless, pals reckon he will play a key role in the battle against Ukip. And, if the Tories win, he could be rewarded with a role in the Cabinet. But Lib Dem boss Nick Clegg took a swipe at BoJo yesterday. Speaking on his regular LBC radio phone-in, Mr Clegg said: “He treats his political ambition a bit like he treats his hair. “He wants everyone to think that he doesn’t really care, but he actually really, really does care.”  [LOL] http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/393298/Boris-EU-deal-to-get-power-back-easy

Should be dirty and very interesting fight then.  Bring it on!   LOL

UK - Nick Clegg - Liberal Democrats - World Cup and Putin

Liberal Democrats Nick has been the Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2007 and Deputy Prime Minister since 2010. In 1999, Nick Clegg was elected Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands - the first liberal Parliamentarian in the whole region since the 1930s. As an MEP, he worked towards calls for reforms to expenses, transparency and accountability in the European Parliament. In the run up to the European elections, Nick was the only leader to go head to head with Ukip leader Nigel Farage in a debate on whether we should be IN or OUT of Europe. Nick fought to keep Britain IN Europe in order to stop Ukip from risking millions of British jobs and wrecking the economic recovery. http://www.libdems.org.uk/nick_clegg Should we pull the plug on Russia's World Cup? Posted by The Liberal Democrats on 27 July, 2014 @ 12:01 AM Today Nick Clegg raised the question on whether Russia should host the World Cup in 2018, considering the events taking place in Ukraine. Speaking in an interview for the Sunday Times, Nick Clegg said: "If Russia doesn’t change tack on Ukraine, I’m not sure why the World Cup in Russia should go ahead in a rogue state". After being asked about his thoughts on Putin and Russia, Nick said that Putin is picking a fight with the rest of the world, which will do considerable damage to Russia in the long run. Speaking further about Putin and the World Cup being held in Russia, Nick said: "He can’t constantly, you know, push the patience of the international community beyond breaking point, destabilise a neighbouring country, protect these armed separatists in the east of Ukraine and still have the privilege and honour of receiving all the accolades in 2018 for being the host nation of the World Cup. "I think it would make the rest of the world look so weak and so insincere about our protestations about Vladimir Putin’s behaviour if we’re not prepared to pull the plug on the World Cup taking place in Russia in 2018 after everything that has been said in recent months about his behaviour. Now, look, hopefully, best outcome of all is he changes course." For there to be stability in Europe, Nick said that it is essential for the EU to take tougher sanctions on Putin, he added: "The one lesson we’ve learned from European history is that the sooner and the tougher that you act, the more heartache and conflict you can avoid in the longer term." http://www.libdems.org.uk/world_cup_in_russia

Is there a politician on the planet that hasn't opportunistically used Putin as an easy target in a scramble to score meagre political points?

Clegg speaks of 'Putin's behaviour' as if Putin's entire government and cabinet of advisers, overseeing a nation of 143 million, have ceased to exist.

It would seem, Putin's spitefully vexing Clegg and "the rest of world", on a personal and pugnacious whim, ... to 'pick a fight'.

Russia's negated and vilified as a 'rogue state' if it doesn't bend to the 'righteous' will of Clegg and immaculate cohorts he's sidled up to; and their collective patience is pushed beyond breaking point, according to Clegg.

Poor darling's under the illusion that he's speaking on behalf of the entire 'international community' -- rather than, at most, as a self-appointed fan-boy of those either in bed with the US or those under the thumb of the US.

Clegg begrudges Putin the 'privilege', 'honour' and 'all the accolades' of -- wait for it -- hosting a football match.

Aaaaaw -- sounds like Clegg simply envies Putin.  Maybe he'd like to be Putin.

Exaggerations such as 'rogue state', "rest of the world" and "beyond breaking point" pepper Clegg's envy of Putin.

Come on, Clegg, quit envying Putin and quit exaggerating if you propose to be taken seriously! 

Clegg's concerned about the message it would send about the collective sincerity of himself and those who have expressed 'protestations about Vladimir Putin's behaviour', should Russia host the football match.

Yet Clegg was recently described by Dominic Cummings as:

"... self-obsessed, sanctimonious and so dishonest he finds the words truth and lies have ceased to have any objective meaning ..."

"He won't do the hard work to get policy right – all he cares about is his image. He is a revolting character. And I say that after spending 15 years in Westminster."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nick-clegg/10791556/Nick-Clegg-is-a-self-obsessed-revolting-character.html

Ouch!

Clegg's European history lesson does sound rather preachy and pointless:

"The one lesson we’ve learned from European history is that the sooner and the tougher that you act, the more heartache and conflict you can avoid in the longer term."

'We'?  'We've learned'?  Is this a royal we?

Okay, so what tough action did Clegg propose?  Was it an immediate invasion of Russia? 

Nope.

Clegg  does what every politician scoring points does:  he's called for tougher EU sanctions ('on Putin', in this case).

So is Nick a man with a plan or is Nick a man of trite words and easy targets, with an eye for easy votes?