Nick Clegg made a bold statement in his conference speech today, declaring his ambition to be Prime Minister and not just a handmaiden to power. Never mind that his speech coincided with President Obama's UN address — which the news channels chose to screen instead, somewhat undermining Clegg's big moment — he's made his pitch to voters, and should the improbable happen and the fresh-faced Lib Dem leader move into No.10, Londoners will see a freeze on transport fare rises, he said in a video interview with BBC London News.
Not that wealthier Londons are likely to vote yellow after the clunking reaction to the party's mansion tax, which could well doom a number of London's Lib Dem MPs to dismissal by their constituents at the General Election. Moreover, less pecunious Londoners might well be irked by the party's apparent cooling on Crossrail: Vince Cable said it was "not a priority" for the party. Impressive stuff, managing to piss off both ends of the electorate in the same week, and it reinforces the lingering suspicion that the Liberal Democrats stumble over the intricacies of policy detail.
