{"id":173066,"date":"2011-04-24T12:56:10","date_gmt":"2011-04-24T12:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.moldova.org\/2011\/04\/24\/clegg-attacks-cameron-over-alternative-vote-219748-eng\/"},"modified":"2011-04-24T12:56:10","modified_gmt":"2011-04-24T12:56:10","slug":"clegg-attacks-cameron-over-alternative-vote-219748-eng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/clegg-attacks-cameron-over-alternative-vote-219748-eng\/","title":{"rendered":"Clegg attacks Cameron over alternative vote"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

In an interview with the Independent on Sunday, he accused the prime minister of "defending the indefensible".
\nThe deputy prime minister described those pressing for a "No" vote in the referendum on the alternative vote system as a "right-wing clique".
\nMeanwhile, former Tory leader Lord Howard has said the Yes campaign is getting "desperate".
\n‘Lashing out’
\nIn his most outspoken language yet, Mr Clegg said the No campaign was built on "lies, misinformation and deceit".
\n"This nasty No campaign, I hope, will prove to be the death rattle of a right-wing elite, a right-wing clique who want to keep things the way they are. That’s why they are lashing out."
\nAsked if he was referring to the prime minister, Mr Clegg responded: "Look, I include all those, and of course it includes the Conservative Party, who like this nice little racket: they get a job for life and they waft into power and they don’t even need to bother try to get a majority of people on side."
\nMr Clegg contrasted the supporters of AV – including the leaders of the Labour Party, Green Party, Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru and UK Independence Party – with its opponents.
\n‘Reactionary interests’
\nHe said: "The other side, you’d have David Cameron, [British National Party leader] Nick Griffin and whoever leads the Communist Party.
\n"Now that tells you volumes about the very reactionary interests that are defending the indefensible".
\nMr Clegg also referred to Mr Cameron’s sharing of a campaign platform with Labour former home secretary Lord Reid.
\n"When Conservatives team up with a man as reactionary and backward-looking as John Reid, you know that the old establishment, the old elite, are just thrashing around," he said.
\nDisputed claims
\nA source close to Mr Clegg said he was not accusing Mr Cameron himself of lying.
\nBut Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has written to George Osborne accusing him of untruths.
\nMr Huhne called on the chancellor to withdraw claims that a change to the voting system would make elections more expensive, which he described as a "completely unfounded charge".
\n"I explicitly warned you the manner of the AV campaign would be as important as the result in the effects on the coalition. Robust debate is normal in British politics. Persistent resort to falsehoods is not," his letter to the chancellor states.
\nLord Howard said the Liberal Democrats, arguing for a new system, were "realising they are losing the main arguments".
\nSpeaking to the Sunday Telegraph, he said: "I do think it is remarkable and disappointing that, as the campaign enters its final stages, the Yes group is spending all its time talking about the internal politics of the campaign.
\n"They are desperate. I don’t take anything for granted and it is important we get our vote out, but every opinion poll now seems to show a bigger margin in favour of No than the last one."
\nA referendum on 5 May will ask British voters whether they want to switch to the alternative vote, where voters rank candidates in order of preference.
\nWestminster MPs are currently elected through the first-past-the-post system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>In an interview with the Independent on Sunday, he accused the prime minister of defending the indefensible.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":173065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-173066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"content_social_share":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

In an interview with the Independent on Sunday, he accused the prime minister of "defending the indefensible".
\nThe deputy prime minister described those pressing for a "No" vote in the referendum on the alternative vote system as a "right-wing clique".
\nMeanwhile, former Tory leader Lord Howard has said the Yes campaign is getting "desperate".
\n‘Lashing out’
\nIn his most outspoken language yet, Mr Clegg said the No campaign was built on "lies, misinformation and deceit".
\n"This nasty No campaign, I hope, will prove to be the death rattle of a right-wing elite, a right-wing clique who want to keep things the way they are. That’s why they are lashing out."
\nAsked if he was referring to the prime minister, Mr Clegg responded: "Look, I include all those, and of course it includes the Conservative Party, who like this nice little racket: they get a job for life and they waft into power and they don’t even need to bother try to get a majority of people on side."
\nMr Clegg contrasted the supporters of AV – including the leaders of the Labour Party, Green Party, Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru and UK Independence Party – with its opponents.
\n‘Reactionary interests’
\nHe said: "The other side, you’d have David Cameron, [British National Party leader] Nick Griffin and whoever leads the Communist Party.
\n"Now that tells you volumes about the very reactionary interests that are defending the indefensible".
\nMr Clegg also referred to Mr Cameron’s sharing of a campaign platform with Labour former home secretary Lord Reid.
\n"When Conservatives team up with a man as reactionary and backward-looking as John Reid, you know that the old establishment, the old elite, are just thrashing around," he said.
\nDisputed claims
\nA source close to Mr Clegg said he was not accusing Mr Cameron himself of lying.
\nBut Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has written to George Osborne accusing him of untruths.
\nMr Huhne called on the chancellor to withdraw claims that a change to the voting system would make elections more expensive, which he described as a "completely unfounded charge".
\n"I explicitly warned you the manner of the AV campaign would be as important as the result in the effects on the coalition. Robust debate is normal in British politics. Persistent resort to falsehoods is not," his letter to the chancellor states.
\nLord Howard said the Liberal Democrats, arguing for a new system, were "realising they are losing the main arguments".
\nSpeaking to the Sunday Telegraph, he said: "I do think it is remarkable and disappointing that, as the campaign enters its final stages, the Yes group is spending all its time talking about the internal politics of the campaign.
\n"They are desperate. I don’t take anything for granted and it is important we get our vote out, but every opinion poll now seems to show a bigger margin in favour of No than the last one."
\nA referendum on 5 May will ask British voters whether they want to switch to the alternative vote, where voters rank candidates in order of preference.
\nWestminster MPs are currently elected through the first-past-the-post system.<\/p>\n

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