Nick Clegg Statement In Full
“The allegations made on Channel 4 concerning Lord Rennard last Thursday were extremely serious and distressing to the women involved. It is critical they are investigated thoroughly and dealt with properly and they will be.
But I would like to make one thing crystal clear. I did not know about these allegations until Channel 4 informed the party of them shortly before they were broadcast. I have today spoken to one of the women in the broadcast who I respect and admire and who confirmed that she had never raised the issue with me.
I am angry and outraged at the suggestion that I would not have acted if these allegations had been put to me. Indeed, when indirect and non-specific concerns about Chris Rennard’s conduct reached my office in 2008, we acted to deal with them.
My Chief of Staff at the time, Danny Alexander, put these concerns to Chris Rennard and warned him that any such behaviour was wholly unacceptable. Chris Rennard categorically denied that he had behaved inappropriately and he continues to do so. He subsequently resigned as Chief Executive on health grounds.
As my office only received concerns indirectly and anonymously, as those involved understandably wanted to maintain their privacy, there was a limit to how we could take this matter forward following Chris Rennard’s resignation. It is incorrect to state that there was any other separate inquiry by my office or anybody in it.
I recognise from the Channel 4 broadcast that there are legitimate concerns that issues raised with the party were not handled as well as they should have been. In particular the suggestion that a complaint was made but was not dealt with as a formal complaint. I am therefore determined that we carry out a thorough investigation into our procedures and how we applied them at the time to ensure we have a full and clear picture of what happened and the lessons that we need to learn. This review will be independently chaired.
A separate investigation into the specific allegations about Lord Rennard will take place under our disciplinary procedure. It is essential that this is carried out with due process and for that reason I cannot provide a running commentary on it. But I am absolutely determined that both these investigations will be carried out thoroughly and comprehensively. These investigations may well reveal flawed procedures, and clearly the women concerned feel they were not properly listened to. But I totally reject the insidious suggestion that my office or I are responsible in any way for a deliberate cover up.
The full truth of what happened and what failed to happen and who said what to whom will be revealed by these investigations.
But in the meantime, I will not stand by and allow my party to be subject to a show trial of innuendo, half-truths and slurs. The important thing is that we respect the women who have come forward and do everything to get to the truth. That is what will now happen.”
If anything this widens the cover-up…
Never again
“I am angry and outraged at the suggestion that I would not have acted if these allegations had been put to me. Indeed, when indirect and non-specific concerns about Chris Rennard’s conduct reached my office in 2008, we acted to deal with them.”
He’s a fucking revisionist now!
How did LibDumbs deal with concerns in 2008 ??
“I did not know about THESE allegations…”
Does suggest that there is more going to come out, or being covered up.
EH?
So Clegg was Not aware but he Was aware.
Who the fook drafted his statement?
I did. Nicky liked the green crayon best.
Nick should have read order-order
Maybe he can read about his own resignation
Hopefully Clegg will make like David Koresh. Its time the UK had its own Waco
I have asked Danny Alexander, who is to be my scapegoat in this affair, to take note of your comments.
Lower than a snake’s belly…..
I think we’ve got a very clear message, a loud and clear message that Britain cannot let up in dealing with its debts, dealing with its problems, cannot let up in making sure that Britain can pay its way in the world.
You left out the word “third” near the end somewhere.
Anyone know why we always seem to have two No 1s at the weekend?
Something still smells about this…
He did not know?
Not an inkling?
Was he the only person involved in politics who did not hear the rumours?
Is he really expecting us to believe that he or one of his minions has never visited this site?
Super weak as ever from Corporal Clegg. This stinks.
This stinks.
Clegg stinks.
They all stink.
Funny how all these sex pests behaviour is widely known about.
Buyt those at the top always plead ignorance.
Not good timing for Eastliegh though.
W.W.
funny that, all this bad stuff re LibDems coming out now. Needs to come out but cant help but wonder if anyone is sticking the knife in with regard to timing.
When is the honest Chris H to appear for sentencing?
Once a jury can be found which is competent enough to understand its role in the justice process and can return a verdict without asking the judge questions which under any other circumstance would get you either fired, committed or perhaps both. Oh, and that trial is completed. Soon(ish).
Is Clegg actually stating that Danny Alexander, his chief of staff, did not report back to him on his dealings with Rennard, and give him a blow by blow account?
If this is so, why did Clegg not question Alexander on this, and get confirmation that appropriate actions were taken?
As I have been saying for the last 10 years you can give these Westminster people expensive educations, but their universities seem totally incapable of transferring wisdom and of leadership skills.
Untouchable is a very good film, I give it 5 stars
A PTFE coating is highly recommended for frying pans
Thanks,excellent tip
Has the last sentence been redacted? “In the light of what has happened, I am tendering my resignation both as leader and as a member of the LD Party, with immediate effect.”
If only…..
When not if?
It simply said ‘I am so very sorry’
Iam sorry iam sorry iam really really sorry that we didn’t bother to investigate and yes I am fighting for my political life as I knew what was going on and got Danny to have quiet word only
Danny the ginger rodent?
He seems to know everything about nothing at all.
I need to have him named in this affair to deflect some attention away from me.
I like Danny Alexander-he’s always seemed like a fairly decent bloke.
I also quite liked Jeremy Browne and thought he had more sense than allow himself to be used to do Cleggs dirty work.
Are you a ginger?
If the ladies who refused to cooperate had no promotion within the party should we look at the more successful lib dem ladies in a different light?
Do they have two black eyes and a T shirt saying Slow Learner?
Go back to totally misdirecting the BBC.
Right…..
“I am angry and outraged at the suggestion that I would not have acted if these allegations had been put to me.”
Define ‘put to me’.
That’s the lie.
It may be that other allegations were put to him; in which case that statement would not be a lie.
He is trying to state that these women did not directly approach him personally.
On the other hand he keeps talking about procedures.
Like all Lib Dems he wants his cake and eat it.
So just how many people have DIRECT access to the biggest cheese in the place? I know I never did in all my working career even though I managed to climb a good way up the greasy pole. The echelons of flunkies in the way always made certain that certain things only got to get so high – and then got “disappeared”. Squeaky bum time!
How about an accidental coverup?
Ask Danny Alexander.
Here we are a country in meltdown & in tatters due to the financial situation. Generally management in high placed circles of finance and public life, etc etc Big bonuses and equally big exit & pension pots. OVER POPULATION & immigration, social unrest & poor housing. The nhs almost on the point of collapse.
And what rocks the bloody boat – sexual\personal\illegal scandal, time and time again! Name the government and it’s always there, festering under the surface. In or out of office.
“But in the meantime, I will not stand by and allow my party to be subject to a show trial of innuendo, half-truths and slurs…
..That is what will now happen.”
But ONLY after I return from my holiday in Spain!
So Clegg is accusing women in his OWN party of lies and innuendo.
Shameful.
Lying b*stard lies again. Hold the front page!
So he did know about it and asked Danny to have a word.
So he and Cable lied in their previous statements this morning.
What about the woman who had to sign the gagging order.
I have never read so much shite
Hey, who’s the bird with the big shakers on the road kill ad?
Lord Rennard’s PPS?
If only….
The bedroom tax is not a tax.
Thank fuck for that, I’ll go tell landlady Cherie!
So good Mr Clegg is now to move heaven and earth to appease women .
What may I ask is he doing tonight to appease men and animals who may have fuffered at the hands of his members?
That sounds like material which could be of interest to Fernbridge.
Question: what`s the biggest selling product in Westminster and Whitehall.
Answer: Whitewash.
lol
“I am angry and outraged at …”
I’m sorry to say as soon as I hear one of our political elite uttering those words the Bull Shite detector under my tin foil cap automatically completes it as – “… being found out, I thought we had covered this up.”
I just hope some one out there has the proof to stuff it up Cleggie’s twitch ring piece.
‘I have today spoken to one of the women in the broadcast who I respect and admire and who confirmed that she had never raised the issue with me.’
And the others Clegg? Have you spoken to them? Or didn’t you bother because they were not people you ‘respect and admire ‘?
I have today spoken to one of the women, the one who did not speak to me, but not the others, because whatever they may say is likely to be unhelpful to my case.
I always thought I was Gideons fall guy but I have just been thrown under a bus by the dutchman.
Clegg’s initial statement on Rennard sounds just like the BBC’s initial statement on Saville.
I thoight so too.
I have never heard of the BBC
I think they download these statements off the internet, in the same way you can download a tennants agreement and wills,
There is now a site doing very nice business flogging denial statements.
W.W
So what allegations were made in 2008 ? What did Danny Alexander tell the LiDumb Leader ? How will Cable explain his statement made earlier today ? Do any LibDumb MPs ever read ‘Private Eye’ ?
Cable will explain later, after his medications permit him to be seen in public.
Limpdick Optic is on Sky thrusting the knife into the liberal leadership.
it pays the bar-bill y’know!
‘… and do everything to get to the truth. That is what will now happen.’
and then we’ll promote all those who have made it possible for me to claim ignorance
greater love hath no man than he that lays down his wife to ensure his leader’s advancement
Just what is the point?
avoiding the issue
You just knew the foxy git was lying when he said he had NEVER invited ANY young women to his hotel room.
Only SPECIFIC young ladies.
In his opening paragraph Clegg tells us that he plans to investigate and deal with the women involved.
That’s about what I’ve come to expect from this charlatan.
At least when the Tories were last in power John Major’s sex scandal involved 2 consenting parties.
…and 2 non-consenting spouses remember.
I like to go to work on an egg
I’ve got egg on my face.
And what about Michael Hancock, did Wee Danny investigate the complaints made against Hancock?
And the moon is made of 100% non fat cheese.
“…Indeed, when indirect and non-specific concerns about Chris Rennard’s conduct reached my office in 2008, we acted to deal with them.
My Chief of Staff at the time, Danny Alexander, put these concerns to Chris Rennard and warned him that any such behaviour was wholly unacceptable…”
Yeah, what I said, about “You didn’t do it, and don’t do it again…” I mean, are these idiots predictable, or what, anyway, when even I can write the story?
http://order-order.com/2013/02/24/read-guidos-column-in-the-sun-today-2/#comment-1608099
Danny Alexander. aka Beaker, or the Minister for keeping Osborne off the telly.
It’s interesting how unwanted physical contact is now regarded as dreadful, when once it was treated almost as a joke, while a man using the filthiest language in the presence of a woman, which used to be a sacking offence, is now seen as trivial (and sometimes returned). Each age has its own taboos.
You must be younger than I took you for.
I was taught that sticks and stones would break my bones but words would never hurt me.
If you grow up believing that then the concept of mental cruelty evaporates.
Great news about Liberal groper.1200 deaths in Mid Staffs moved down the important news list again.
Any Lib Dem MP’s who were aware of the allegations need to break ranks and come clean or they ‘ll be dragged down and forever tarnished by this stinking cover- up.
Clegg has finally shown his true colours and deserves no loyalty from those in his party he has shafted. He’s a busted flush.
Asia has opened, GBP is going down.
May go beneath 1.50 when the real action starts later.
Predictions:
i) Sterling is going to get hammered.
ii) Gilts are going to sell off a little bit.
iii) Gold is going to start going back up.
iv) Then Gilts will get hammered a lot.
Somewhere in the above, Osborne has to resign, or a GE called.
What moron sold the gold
Prediction.Theres no money left.Liam Burn Labour
Well yes . we need bullyballs, gordon’s puppet, in charge here.
Print more money, spend more money on worthless managers for the public services and welfare benefits for lazy dependents who prefer not to work, build more windfarms that produce 1000th of the electricity we need at immense expense to us , increase taxes for those of us who are struggling, raid pensions, let in more illiterate unemployable immigrants and generally trash the country!!
Oh yes we really need militwit and bullyballs in charge!!
No: Definitely do not need Balls in control.
What will happen is this:
Bo.E will start buying Gold on open market, it needs to.
Why ?
The Gilts (UK Bonds) are not underpinned by anything. They need to be underpinned by something, and faith in sterling is almost as strong as faith in the likes of Clegg and Osborne.
The massive significance of the sterling drop, and it did drop off a cliff last week and is still falling right now, is that the market has not priced in any of this. Things are going to get hot now.
Suggestion a few threads back about starting a war to kill the more serious creditors, or perhaps withdrawing from the EU to stimulate a collapse (same thing) is perhaps the best medium term option.
Government will likely try to tax its way out of this hole which will fail spectacularly.
But later this year: Civil disturbances, once the weather warms up, and finally some meaningful cuts in public expenditure are priced in.
There will need to be a change of political leadership in Treasury though as Osborne is now officially an economic mong.
Dear Mr Broker.
The price of Gold is determined by global things and not the economy of one tincy wincy Island.
Yes but the issue is being able to predict commodity prices. Not much Brown’s strong point.
In point of fact nor was predicting an over-leveraged global economy, was it? Or perhaps he wanted a long bust. Nor more boom and bust, just growth and then bust.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/9891082/Trade-protectionism-looms-next-as-central-banks-exhaust-QE.html
AEP asserts that the Fed may also need to be pushing up the price of gold by mid-2014.
Protectionism will come when the currency wars have played out a bit more.
Likely after the German Federal elections.
Then the virtual wars may well turn hot.
There is a bit of time before protectionism kicks in, but there are already some tariffs etc. up already if you look around.
There are some problems with that Pr!tchard article:
i) Bond Vigilante’s are disarmed. The QE has killed them off.
ii) US doesn’t really have the same problem as everyone else with their debt obligations. As reserve currency they can raise debt ceiling and just print more money. Their only limit on this is how far Ch!na will tolerate. Watch the As!an pivot carefully.
iii) US does not mind $ tending towards 0 as it needs this in order to recapture some of its lost export markets from Ch!na. Part of their strategy is to become a net energy exporter: See shale gas / oil developments and Keystone pipeline for further details.
iv) Note: The ‘escape velocity’ terminology is totally meaningless.
v) The article completely misses the recent Fed Gold audits, and some pertinent corollaries of that.
The BAE deal which Heyw0od is coercing Cameron to sign will help bring down US government expenditure by introducing some competition for the US Defense contractors.
Main cost US government cannot drop in real (power) terms is defense budget. That they will reduce in nominal terms through competition and investment in automated weapons / drone technologies etc.
Biggest risks for US are Europe disintegrating, Ch!na losing patience as creditor and resorting to direct confrontation.
The gold market is special as it has a small number of participants, and does not have a lot of liquidity. Brown recall forced the price down significantly when he repeatedly stated he was selling some gold.
So, the tincy wincy Island as you put it shoved the global price down just with announcing intention to sell.
Now. The main players in the market are central banks and some rather large funds.
They will know following this news from Moodys exactly what the Bo.E will need to do next. So, expect the price to be bid up. The price will go up anyway as the Bo.E starts actually purchasing.
The price of gold is one of the more heavily manipulated. That was evidenced by its friendly smack down a couple of weeks back when there was a massive outflow from SPDR Gold Trust (a gold backed ETF) mainly due to Soros.
There is talk of the cross of death, where the long term average price has crosses the short term average price, which traditionally for commodities signals that price will continue down. That may happen for a little while, but if the Bo.E has to enter the market to start underpinning Gilts then that trend will be reverse fairly quickly.
Question is, can be Bo.E purchase in such a way as to keep the short term average where it is ? Likely not as sterling is going to devalue against gold faster than it is against USD.
This by the way has not factored in what is happening in the futures market (lot of physical being taken out this month from Feb C0MEX…) / German (and other) repatriations.
The upward pressure on gold price has been increased somewhat by this downgrade.
Euro seemed to drop a bit as well
£ was down 7% BEFORE the Moody’s downgrade so most of this is already factored in. I expect the other two rating agencies to join Moody’s. There is a probability that the results of the Italian elections will in a very short time negate this and lower the euro. As for the $ Obama is relying on shale gas not his policies.
In the opening words of the traditional song:
‘A good many gentlemen take great delight
In hunting bold Reynard the fox’.
‘A good many gentlemen take great delight
In hunting bold Reynard the fox’.
Does the bawdiness continue with
A slap on the bottom, a feel of her tits
Then please, will you handle my cock.
I did not have sexual relations with these women.
At last, a statement we can all believe!
Nick Clegg is a lying prick who should not be in UK politics.
He is not so upstanding.
Yes. He says emails sent to his office but he never saw them – he never heard the gossip. Danny and bumblingvince say the same.
Three brass monkeys – never saw no evil, never heard no evil etc etc….
What liars!
Just as the BBC asked Saville if the rumours were true, the Liberals asked Rennard if the rumours were true.
It’s just as well the plod does not employ this interrogation technique.
And just as the BBC were more concerned about the BBC’s reputation than the victims, the LibDems are more concerned about their reputation than the victims.
+100
To be fair, T0m Wats0n is more concerned about smearing people with the allegations and hearsay than the victims. It is not clear if he cares so much about his own reputation though.
Dear Nick.
Our advice is to issue your statement late Sunday evening just as the TV and press are going into full Oscar coverage mode for the next 36 hours.
Think Clegg must have read your advice.
I’ll get to the bottom of this…
I think you’ll find he works for ITV not the BBC.
Leprosy. AIDS. Lib Dems.
It does seem doesn’t it that all our UK Institutions , The Beeb, the policitical parties, the NHS, The Police , The MP’s ,The Lords are all corrupt and not fit for purpose and Yes that includes the LibbDems!!??
It’s a common purpose!
The libdems have set up an email account – whistleblower@libdems.org.uk – for people to send allegations of sexual misconduct to.
Ah and then what? Are they going to publish them? Suspect a la BBC it will all willl be buried or redacted!!
Don’t want the public to know the truth God Forbid!
This country is a hole. How despicable Hunts like this are permitted to fuck the life of the rest of us up, and not face piano wire is beyond me.
Will the accused face a trial? Will you have the patience to wait for a trial? Or do you instead demand instant trial by media and character assassination?
Your lack of patience in the police and victims doing their jobs and coming forward is symptomatic of the unprofessional BBC News style dumbed-down, simplistic instant results broadcasting wholly neglecting revelations as to whether the police are investigating and leaving the story at that. Which is what should happen. Or are you now a conspiracy theorist who believes that trial by media and allegations is the best way to do these things? And that all complainants in every single case tell the truth?
oh fuck off, we all know they are scum. Hang them…and you too
***new page***
Gotcha !
Cleggover the flying dutchman,more like the feckin lying dutchman,this guy can now be seen for what he is,and that is a feckin guy whose prime objective is to masquerade as a honest politician,shades of Bliar I would say,I’m a straight kind of guy.
If this asshole can,t admit that he knew what went on with Foxy and his actions which he was told about,then it should tell folks all about his integrity.
Question:- What exactly were Foxies health ground reasons for resigning,also are Cleggover and Foxy going to sue over this scandal?.
I’m more looking forward to a criminal trial brought by the complainants, as to an update see C4 or ITV or the papers as BBC are rubbish at this sort of thing.
What’s the betting that when Clegg gets grilled by the MSM tomorrow morning, he’ll roll out that old corker “I cannot comment on these allegations until after our investigation has been completed…”?
I wish to state that we will learn the lessons, draw a line under them, and move on going forward. I think that covers everything.
… at this moment in time…
So what? He wanted a bit of muff. Don’t we all?
It seems like the lib dumbs as they have always been are the assholes of politics.
Cleggover now tries to hand over responsibiliy to Alexander of forestry fame,what an abdication of blame is this.
Foxy is in the frame as to what he was doing and Cleggover did’td know,well pull the other one.
All of this says to me that you cant trust a politician of any party to tell it like it is.
Way back Cromwell marched the politicians out of parliament calling them whoremasterers pimps and prostitues,this now applies to this day.
When are we going to see another figure such as this who will rid us of the corruption that we see today.
This country is now in the throes of utter devastation as to what we held dear,and that is an absolute disgrace as to what this country was all about.
THIS PAGE IS DELIBERATELY LEFT BLANK
Damn it, my policy’s been leaked.
The guy from Sky News really hates Clegg. Wonder why? So biased he’s an embarrassement to newsreaders, no matter what you think of Clegg.
What is the difference between the truth and “the full truth” as it appears in Mr Clegg’s statement?
Remember the last time there was a Liberal leadership election it was a straight choice between Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne .
If any of this is true then I am a Dutchman
Nick Clegg – is he trying to prove that he is an even bigger twat than his “Last of the Summer Wine” namesake?