Lib-Dems – party of social advancement, mired in sex scandal & cover-up

The rumours began circulating as early as 2004, Chris Rennard party election chief mastermind of 10 by-election gains, guilty of unwanted sexual advances and beyond. The architect of ‘pavement politics’ sent a young prospective female candidate running from his room in tears in what became known as the ‘Peterborough incident’. Rennard curiously took a back seat in the party in 2009 for the infamous family and health reasons – code for 'I’ve been busted and we’ve begun a cover-up'.

But Rennard, Lord Rennard MBE, was considered the most powerful man in the party. Someone who’s genius could win an open election. That’s gold and platinum combined in politics. A man with a stellar reputation! No this man can’t be questioned was the verdict of a party who will sell their ideology in a heartbeat to pick up another parliamentary seat. And so he was quietly moved to the sidelines with distinction. It was denials all around in the Lib-Dem party right up until 3 women came forward on the UK’s Channel 4; blowing out Jo Swinson’s opinion that ‘Nick... is pretty sure that none of the girls will talk’; Alison Smith – “He plonked himself between us and started moving his hands down our backs and places where they had absolutely no business being, It was both of us at the same time.”

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Bridget Harris - “It made me feel embarrassed, and upset and disappointed,” 3rd woman unidentified - “(he) shoved his hand down the back of my dress I felt really humiliated and very undermined and very shameful”. The British have always done a better job than the Americans of keeping this sought of stuff quiet. Perhaps in part because the laws have always favoured the government and political classes more. Not having to deal with those pesky constitutional rights of freedom of the press has always helped. British law, while appearing as democratic as you get, has always left the government with the trump cards. Indeed the state-owned BBC had the story 3 months before Channel 4 but declined to run it. America’s Republicans, for all their organizational shortcomings, have been quite good at dealing with these occurrences with swift demands for resignation of the said offenders. Indeed when South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was caught in an affair with now Argentinean fiancée Maria Belen Chapur his wife promptly left him and the state Republicans moved to have him impeached only to be blocked by the Democrats. Ah, the Democrats; party of philanderers and oh so forgiving wives. Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Antonio Villaraigosa, Ted Kennedy & family, Anthony Weiner, Al Gore – at least Tipper finally showed him the door. These people hold on to power no matter what and party superstars are protected despite their inexcusable behavior. This is what we are seeing in Britain’s Lib-Dem. party. Party leader Nick Clegg has finally admitted that he had knowledge of Rennards activities as early as 2008. Given his previous denials, who knows if this is really the truth? In fact the Daily Mail reports that “A no-holds-barred report by City fund manager Helen Morrissey, sparked by the allegations against Lord Rennard, portrays a party in which sexism has been rife for 20 years.” The irony is of course inescapable. A party that has claimed to champion social causes with special rights for every imaginable minority group is in fact controlled by white men. Of the 17 people who have served as party leader, deputy leader, and party President since the modern formation in 1988; 15 are white men. This is the sort of thing they like to throw around about private companies but as is said in basic psychology – you are what you accuse. Clegg is singled out in the Morrissey report as culpable along with Jo Swinson, Lib-Dem minister for Women and Equalities. Swinson, still only 33 and once the youngest sitting Member of Parliament at 25 is a classic political hack with self-esteem issues. She recently was quoted as saying “I know as an aunt, you fall into the trap of turning to your niece and saying, ‘you look beautiful’ – because of course all children do – but if the message they get is that is what’s important, then that’s not the most positive message you want them to hear.” These are the words of a woman who doesn’t feel good about how she appears. In some perverse version of Stockholm-syndrome she has taken up the party cause to cover–up infidelity believing that the greater good of the party has to be protected. Not having self-worth she finds value in serving the cause. The irony here is that as minister for Women and Equalities she is supposed to promote those people and ideals instead of being complicit in hiding their suppression. Also recommended by Morrissey is diversity training for elected members of the party. However Clegg has declined to personally participate on multiple occasions telling LBC radio "It's not a question of whether I or any individual...Is it right that in an organisation like the Liberal Democrats that you make those courses available? She thinks you should do. If she recommends that, it is exactly what we'll do. The most important thing for me is as leader of Liberal Democrats is to make sure that we're open, take it on the chin and make sure those changes are implemented. The only reason is, I think it is a slightly partial question. Are we doing what she recommends? If you don't mind, I'm the leader of the party and it's my responsibility to make the party more diverse. It isn't diverse enough. Clearly she's identified a number of steps we need to take." That, from Clegg, is a statement with lots of wiggle room. He basically says we’ll do it if she (Morrissey) recommends it. It leaves open the possibility that her comments could be re-interpreted and is preceded by a rhetorical question which is political positioning to do whatever the heck I want. It’s clear he bristles at the idea of being personally subjected to any kind of training and finishes by saying that both he has the final say AND her recommendations will be followed. Clegg accepts responsibility for what has happened but without consequences. He gives his melancholy eyed apology as if that is sufficient! It’s sort of like when footballers (soccer players for Americans) pat the Ref. on the back after a bad foul to say; ‘yeah that was my fault, let’s just get on with it’. When in fact they should be shown the Red Card! The Lib-Dem party is one that is reeling from the recent rise of UKIP coupled with the so-called Conservative party veering into central waters. Lacking a clear direction their polling has them in 4th place nationally and clinging to significance by virtue of being the junior party in the ruling coalition. It’s clear that Clegg seems to be following the strategy of disgraced former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. He will admit to as much as he needs to in so that the wolves can be kept at bay but that’s it. A political strategy to retain power that has no regard for truth, integrity or morality! What he should have done is demand Rennard’s resignation when he first learned of all the impropriety. But the Lib-Dems. are not a party of character they are about winning elections for the sake of being in power. This is the party of Chris Huhne, who had his wife take his driving conviction only to have an affair on her. She likely would have stayed quiet if weren’t for that. He only moved for divorce after getting caught, preferring to maintain both relationships. But isn’t that like Clegg, keeping his options open. David Cameron and the Lib-Dems. should demand the resignations of Clegg and Jo Swanson but they won’t. It will be left to howls from The Telegraph, The Mail, The Express and maybe The Times. Meanwhile the BBC will quietly and philosophically look on, privately hoping that their little darling will survive.