Nick Clegg has advocated joining the Labour party, in his latest desperate plea to thwart Brexit
Nick Clegg has advocated joining the Labour party, in his latest desperate plea to thwart Brexit.
In a seemingly bizarre move, the former Liberal Democrat leader has written in his book that it is a necessary move for people to make in a ‘national emergency’.
He went on to say that if people could not ‘stomach’ joining Labour, then they should instead join the Conservatives and in any future leadership contest they must ‘pressure your MP to support a pro-Remain candidate’.
Yet despite urging readers to have an impact on Brexit in this way, he conceded that he would not be doing so himself, as a ‘lifelong card-carrying member’ of the Liberal Democrats.
In his latest book, How to Stop Brexit, which is published next week but was available at the Henley Literary Festival, the 50-year-old wrote: ‘How, you may ask, is it possible to influence a political party? How can you make your views known to Jeremy Corbyn?
‘Here’s how: join the Labour Party and make your voice heard. It may seem odd for a former leader of the Liberal Democrats – and someone who has fought against the illiberal habits of Labour all my political life – to advocate joining the Labour Party.
‘And, as a lifelong card-carrying member of another party, I won’t be doing so myself.
But if you are someone who has never joined a party, or perhaps has been inclined to join Labour but has never got round to it, or if you are simply someone who recognises that the importance of Brexit is far greater than individual…’
The former politician, who gave a talk about Brexit at the literary festival yesterday, later continued: ‘At a time of national emergency, and for as long as Parliament is dominated by Labour and Conservative MPs, it is undoubtedly true that what happens within the two larger establishment parties is of the greatest importance.
‘So if you can’t stomach joining the Labour Party, if you are ideologically inclined in a Conservative direction in any event and if you also believe that Brexit is the issue of our times, then joining the Conservatives is another route to make your views felt.’
He went on to take a swipe at Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and David Davis, and said that any members of the Labour Party must put ‘pen to paper’ to raise their concerns with Mr Corbyn.