Nicholas Clegg MP
Leader of Liberal Democrats
Incumbent
Assumed office  18 December 2007
Deputy	Vincent Cable
Preceded by	Menzies Campbell
Liberal Democrats Home Affairs
In office 2 March 2006 – 18 December 2007
Leader	Menzies Campbell
Preceded by	Mark Oaten
Succeeded by	Chris Huhne
Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam
Incumbent
Assumed office  5 May 2005
Preceded by	Richard Allan
Majority	8,682 (21. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The Liberal Democrat members elect the United Kingdom Liberal Democrat leader. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> John Vincent Cable, known as Vince Cable Sir Walter Menzies Campbell CBE QC (born 22 May 1941) commonly known as Ming Campbell, is a British Politician The Liberal Democrats are the third-largest Political party in the United Kingdom. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Sir Walter Menzies Campbell CBE QC (born 22 May 1941) commonly known as Ming Campbell, is a British Politician Mark Oaten (born 8 March 1964, Watford) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom, and Member of Parliament Christopher Murray Paul Huhne, known as Chris Huhne, (born 2 July 1954 is a British Liberal Democrat politician and the current Member of Parliament Sheffield Hallam is a Parliamentary constituency covering the south west portion of the City of Sheffield, England. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Richard Beechcroft Allan (born 11 February 1966, Sheffield) was the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Sheffield 4%)
Born	January 7, 1967 (1967-01-07) (age 41) Buckinghamshire, England
Nationality	British
Political party	Liberal Democrats
Spouse	Miriam Gonzalez Durantez
Alma mater	Robinson College, Cambridge University of Minnesota
Religion	Atheist[1][2]
Website	http://www.nickclegg.org.uk/

Nicholas William Peter Clegg (born 7 January 1967), known as Nick Clegg, is the British Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam and, since 18 December 2007, leader of the Liberal Democrats. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval Robinson College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the The University of Minnesota Twin Cities ( U of M or The U) is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system. Atheism Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Sheffield Hallam is a Parliamentary constituency covering the south west portion of the City of Sheffield, England. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the

Contents 1 Early life 1.1 Education 1.2 Career before politics 2 Member of the European Parliament (1999-2004) 3 Member of Parliament (since 2005) 3.1 Lib Dems Home Affairs 3.2 Publications and policy 3.3 Leader of the Liberal Democrats (since 2007) 3.3.1 Election to the leadership 3.3.2 Frontbench Team appointments 3.3.3 Beliefs 4 Controversies and criticisms 4.1 Charles Kennedy's resignation 4.2 Sir Menzies Campbell's resignation 4.3 GQ interview 5 References 6 External links 7 Offices held

Early life

Clegg was born in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire in 1967, the third of four children. Chalfont St Giles is a Village and Civil parish within Chiltern district in south east Buckinghamshire, England, on the edge Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. His half-Russian father, Nicholas, was a banker, and is chairman of The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation is a United Kingdom -based charity (registered no ^[3] His great-great-grandfather, the Russian nobleman Ignaty Zakrevsky, was Attorney General of Senate in Imperial Russia. In most Common law jurisdictions the Attorney General, or Attorney-General, is the main legal advisor to the government and in some jurisdictions may in addition The Governing Senate (Правительствующий сенат was a legislative judicial and executive body of Russian Monarchs, instated by Peter the Great The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya ^[4]

His great-great aunt was the writer Baroness Moura Budberg. Countess later Baroness Moura (Maria Ignatievna Zakrevskaya Benckendorff Budberg (c ^[5] His Dutch mother Hermance van den Wall Bake^[6] was a teacher of children with special educational needs who, as a girl had been interned with her family by the Japanese in Batavia (Jakarta) in the Dutch East Indies. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Special Education is the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures adapted equipment and materials accessible settings and other interventions Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial See http//enwikipediaorg/wiki/WikipediaFootnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the tags and the template below He was brought up bilingually in Dutch and English and also speaks French, German and Spanish. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. ^[7][8]

Education

Clegg was educated at Caldicott in South Buckinghamshire, then Westminster school in London. Caldicott is a Prep School for boys aged 7-13 close to London. The Royal College of St Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain 's leading boys' Independent schools with As a 16-year-old exchange student in Munich, he performed community service^[9] for a minor case of criminal damage: he and a friend burned some cacti belonging to a professor, something which he said he was "not proud" of, when it re-emerged during his time as Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesman. A student exchange program is a program in which a Student, typically in secondary or Higher education, chooses to live in a foreign country to learn Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Property damage (or in the United Kingdom, criminal damage) is damage to or the destruction of public or private Property, caused either by a ^[10]

He attended Robinson College, Cambridge, after spending a gap year as a ski instructor in Austria and as an office junior in a Helsinki bank. Robinson College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the A gap year (also known as "year out" "year off" "deferred year" "bridging year" " Overseas experience " "time off" At Cambridge, Clegg studied Archaeology and Anthropology. He was active in the student theatre, captain of the college tennis team, and campaigned for Survival International, protecting the rights of threatened indigenous peoples. Survival International is a Human rights organisation formed in 1969 that campaigns for the rights of indigenous Tribal peoples and ^[11]

After university he was awarded a scholarship to study at the University of Minnesota for a year, where he wrote a thesis on the political philosophy of the Deep Green movement. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities ( U of M or The U) is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system. Political philosophy is the study of questions about the City, Government, Politics, Liberty, Justice, Property, Rights Deep ecology is a recent branch of ecological Philosophy ( Ecosophy) that considers Humankind an integral part of its environment. He then moved to New York, where he worked as an intern under Christopher Hitchens at The Nation, a left wing magazine. Christopher Eric Hitchens (born April 13, 1949) is a British Author, Journalist, Literary critic and American This article is about the US Publication. For other newspapers magazines and alternate uses by the same name see The Nation (disambiguation. ^[12]

Clegg next moved to Brussels, where he worked for six months as a trainee in the G24 Co-ordination Unit, which delivered aid to the countries of the former Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 After the internship he took a second Master's degree at the College of Europe in Bruges, where he met his wife, Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, whose father, José Antonio Gonzalez Caviedes, was a member of the Spanish Senate. History The origins of the College date back to the Hague Congress in 1948 when Salvador de Madariaga, a Spanish statesman thinker and writer The Spanish Senate ( Senado de España in Spanish) is the upper house of Spain 's Parliament, the Cortes Generales. ^[13][14]

Career before politics

In 1993, Clegg won the Financial Times' David Thomas Prize, set up in memory of David Thomas, an FT journalist killed on assignment in Kuwait in 1991. The Financial Times ( FT) is a British international business Newspaper. David Thomas may refer to Arts Dave Thomas (actor (born 1949 Canadian actor and comedian David A The Financial Times ( FT) is a British international business Newspaper. The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed He was the first recipient and was sent to Hungary, where he wrote articles about the mass privatisation of industries in the former communist bloc. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic During the Cold War, the term Communist Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries it either controlled or that were

In April 1994 he took up a post at the European Commission, working in the TACIS aid programme to the former Soviet Union. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. TACIS is an abbreviation of " Technical Aid to the Commonwealth of Independent States " programme a foreign and technical assistance programme implemented by the The post-Soviet states, also commonly known as former Soviet republics, are the 15 independent nations that split off from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics For two years he was responsible for developing direct aid programmes, worth €50 million, in central Asia and the Caucasus. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East He was involved in negotiations with Russia on airline overflight rights, and launched a conference in Tashkent in 1993 that founded TRACECA – the Transport Corridor for Europe, the Caucasus and Asia, otherwise known as the 'New Silk Road'. TRACECA (the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia - an international organisation of economic cooperation A transport corridor is a (generally linear tract of land in which at least one main line for transport be it road rail or canal has been built The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the Vice President and Trade Commissioner Leon Brittan then offered Clegg a job in his private office, as a European Union policy adviser and speech writer. Leon Brittan Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, QC, PC (born 25 September 1939 in North London, United Kingdom) is a Barrister, a The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in As part of this role, Clegg was in charge of the EC negotiating team on Chinese and Russian accession talks to the World Trade Organisation.

Member of the European Parliament (1999-2004)

Clegg was selected as the lead Liberal Democrat euro-candidate for the East Midlands in 1998, and was first tipped as a politician to watch by Paddy Ashdown in 1999 in the Nottingham Evening Post. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the East Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 6 MEPs using the D'Hondt method of Party-list proportional Jeremy John Durham Ashdown Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC, (born 27 February 1941 commonly known as Paddy Ashdown, is a The Nottingham Evening Post is an English Tabloid Newspaper which serves Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and some parts of On his election in 1999, he was the first Liberal parliamentarian elected in the East Midlands since Ernest Pickering was elected MP for Leicester West in 1931, and was credited with helping to significantly boost the Liberal Democrat poll rating in the region in the six months after his election. Ernest Harold Pickering (born 1881 &ndash January 31, 1957) was a Liberal British Member of Parliament for the Leicester Leicester West is a Borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Clegg worked extensively during his time as an MEP to support the party in the region, not least in Chesterfield where Paul Holmes was elected as MP in 2001. Chesterfield is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Paul Holmes may refer to Paul Holmes (broadcaster (born 1950 New Zealand radio and television broadcaster Paul Holmes (politician Results |} Total votes cast 26368204 All parties with more than 500 votes shown He helped persuade Conservative MEP Bill Newton Dunn to defect to the Liberal Democrats; Newton Dunn subsequently succeeded him as MEP for the East Midlands. William "Bill" Newton Dunn (born 3 October 1941 in Greywell, Hampshire) is a British politician

As an MEP, Clegg co-founded the Campaign for Parliamentary Reform, which led calls for reforms to expenses, transparency and accountability in the European Parliament. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU He was made Trade and Industry spokesman for the European Liberal Democrat and Reform group (ELDR), and led on legislation for "local loop unbundling" – opening up telephone networks across Europe to competition. The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (founded in 1993 is a liberal party, mainly active in the European Union, composed of 55 national parties from across Local loop unbundling ( LLU) is the regulatory process of allowing multiple Telecommunications operators use of connections from the Telephone exchange 's It was the fastest piece of legislation ever to go through the parliament, and the subject of an in-depth BBC Open University documentary on EU decision making. Open University is also the name of other institutions See Distance education or the Open Universities category for a list

Clegg campaigned extensively against illegal logging, and wrote a report which advocated that World Trade Organization (WTO) rules should be waived to allow an embargo on illegally logged timber. Illegal logging is the harvest transportation purchase or sale of timber in violation of national Laws The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal including Clegg worked with fellow MEP Chris Davies on legislation to ban cosmetics tested on animals, pushing the law through despite arguments from the government that it was impossible under WTO rules. This article is about the British politician For the Australian cricketer see Christopher Davies (cricketer. He also worked extensively with Green MEPs on legislation to liberalise the EU's energy sector, arguing that liberalisation was a crucial tool to promote greater energy-efficiency and sustainability. Clegg took a leading role in providing Parliamentary oversight in the ongoing WTO world trade talks and attended WTO summits.

Clegg decided to leave Brussels in 2002, arguing in an article in The Guardian newspaper that the battle to persuade the public of the benefits of Europe was being fought at home, not in Brussels. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ^[15] Clegg's work in the East Midlands included campaigning together with the neighbouring MP Richard Allan, in the Sheffield Hallam constituency. Richard Beechcroft Allan (born 11 February 1966, Sheffield) was the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Sheffield Sheffield Hallam is a Parliamentary constituency covering the south west portion of the City of Sheffield, England. When in November 2004, Allan announced his intention to stand down from parliament, Clegg was selected as the candidate for Sheffield Hallam. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " He then took up a part time teaching position in the politics department of the University of Sheffield, combining it with ongoing EU consultancy work which he took up after his departure from the European Parliament. The University of Sheffield is a research University, located in Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. He also gave a series of seminar lectures in the International Relations Department of the University of Cambridge. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the

Member of Parliament (since 2005)

Clegg worked closely with Allan throughout the campaign in Sheffield Hallam – including starring in a local pantomime – and won the seat in the 2005 general election with over 50% of the vote, and a majority of 8,682. Results Overview For events leading up to the date of the election see article Pre-election day events of the United Kingdom general ^[16] This result represents one of the smallest swings away from a party in a seat where an existing MP has been succeeded by a newcomer (4. 3%) – see Sheffield constituency article. Sheffield Hallam is a Parliamentary constituency covering the south west portion of the City of Sheffield, England.

On his election, Clegg was promoted by leader Charles Kennedy to be the party's spokesperson on Europe, focusing on the party's preparations for an expected referendum on the European constitution and acting as deputy to Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Menzies Campbell. Charles Peter Kennedy (born 25 November 1959 is a British politician. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE commonly referred to as the European Constitution, was an unimplemented international Treaty intended Sir Walter Menzies Campbell CBE QC (born 22 May 1941) commonly known as Ming Campbell, is a British Politician Clegg's ability to articulate liberal values at a very practical level quickly lent him prominence, with many already seeing him as a future Liberal Democrat leader. Following the resignation of Charles Kennedy on 7 January 2006, Clegg was touted as a possible leadership contender. Charles Peter Kennedy (born 25 November 1959 is a British politician. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[17] He was quick to rule himself out and to declare his support for Sir Menzies Campbell,^[18] who won the ballot. Sir Walter Menzies Campbell CBE QC (born 22 May 1941) commonly known as Ming Campbell, is a British Politician In the 2006 Liberal Democrats leadership election, Sir Menzies Campbell was elected to succeed Charles Kennedy as Leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest

Lib Dems Home Affairs

After the 2006 leadership election, Clegg was promoted to be Home Affairs spokesperson, replacing Mark Oaten. Mark Oaten (born 8 March 1964, Watford) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom, and Member of Parliament In this job he spearheaded the Liberal Democrats' defence of civil liberties, proposing a Freedom Bill to repeal what he described as "unnecessary and illiberal legislation",^[19] campaigning against Identity Cards and the retention of innocent people's DNA, and arguing against excessive counter-terrorism legislation. thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. An identity document, also called a piece of identification ( ID) is a document used to verify aspects of a person's Identity. Counter-terrorism or counterterrorism refers to the practices tactics, techniques and strategies that Governments militaries, Police departments He has campaigned for prison reform, a liberal approach to immigration, and defended the Human Rights Act against ongoing attacks from across the political spectrum. Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside Prisons aiming at a more effective Penal system. A political spectrum (plural Spectra) is a way of modeling different political positions by placing them upon one or more geometric axes In January 2007, Clegg launched the 'We Can Cut Crime!' campaign, "proposing real action at a national level and acting to cut crime where the Liberal Democrats are in power locally". ^[20]

In Sheffield, Clegg has campaigned on local transport, recycling, housing development and health. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England He has close links with both of the city's universities and has opposed the closure of local services including fire stations and post offices. A post office is a facility authorized by a Postal system for the posting receipt sorting handling transmission or delivery of Mail. Before becoming leader he also served as treasurer and secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group on National Parks, a particular interest given that his constituency includes part of the Peak District National Park. An All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG is a grouping in the Parliament of the United Kingdom composed of politicians from all political parties. The United Kingdom has 14 national parks, 9 in England, 3 in Wales, and two in Scotland. The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater

Publications and policy

Clegg has written extensively, publishing and contributing to a large number of pamphlets and books. With Professor Richard Grayson he wrote a book in 2002 about the importance of devolution in secondary education systems, based on comparative research across Europe. Richard Grayson may refer to Dick Grayson, a fictional character Australia See also Education Comparative research is a research methodology in the Social sciences that aims to make comparisons across different countries or Cultures A major problem The final conclusions included the idea of pupil premiums so that children from poorer backgrounds receive the additional resources their educational needs require.

He wrote a controversial pamphlet for the Centre for European Reform advocating devolution and evolution of the European Union, and contributed to the 2004 Orange Book, where he offered market liberal solutions for reform of European institutions. The Centre for European Reform is a London-based Think-tank devoted to improving the quality of the debate on the European Union. The Orange Book Reclaiming Liberalism (ISBN 1-86197-797-2 is a book written by a group of prominent British Liberal Democrat politicians and edited Classical liberalism (also known as traditional liberalism, Laissez-faire liberalism, Market liberalism or in much of the world ^[21] He also co-authored a pamphlet with Duncan Brack arguing for a wholesale reform of world trade rules to allow room for a greater emphasis on development, internationally binding environmental treaties, and parliamentary democracy within the WTO system. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which

Clegg chaired a policy working group for the Liberal Democrats on the Third Age in 2004, which focused on the importance of ending the cliff-edge of retirement and providing greater opportunities for older people to remain active beyond retirement. Working Group can mean Working group, an interdisciplinary group of researchers or Working Group (dogs, kennel club designation for The Third Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings The group developed initial proposals on transforming post offices to help them survive as community hubs, in particular for older people. He served on Charles Kennedy's policy review, 'Meeting the Challenge', and the 'It's About Freedom' working parties. Clegg also wrote a fortnightly column for Guardian Unlimited for four years while serving as an MEP. guardiancouk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats (since 2007)

Election to the leadership

Since his election to parliament, Clegg was consistently mentioned as a potential candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats. Although he did not stand in the Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2006, he admitted on 18 September 2007 that he "probably would" stand for the leadership upon the retirement of Sir Menzies Campbell,^[22] an event which took place on 15 October 2007. In the 2006 Liberal Democrats leadership election, Sir Menzies Campbell was elected to succeed Charles Kennedy as Leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Clegg's comments were seen by media commentators as a swipe against Campbell's leadership, and he was rebuked by other senior Liberal Democrats including potential leadership rival Chris Huhne. Christopher Murray Paul Huhne, known as Chris Huhne, (born 2 July 1954 is a British Liberal Democrat politician and the current Member of Parliament ^[23]

After the resignation of Campbell, Clegg was regarded by much of the media as front-runner in the leadership election. Front-runner is a term to describe the leader in a race whether political or athletic The 2007 Liberal Democrats leadership election was held following the resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell as leader on 15 October 2007, after 19 months ^[24][25][26] The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson stated the election would be a two-horse race between Clegg and Huhne. Nicholas Anthony Robinson (born 5 October 1963 is the Political Editor of the BBC. ^[27] On Friday 19 October 2007, Clegg launched his bid to become leader of the Liberal Democrats. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[28] The campaign was largely good-natured, with Clegg and Huhne clashing over Trident but largely in agreement on many other issues. The UK Trident programme is the United Kingdom 's Trident missile -based nuclear weapons programme. It was announced on 18 December that he had won. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the ^[29]

Frontbench Team appointments

Clegg appointed erstwhile leadership rival, Chris Huhne, as his replacement as Home Affairs spokesperson. Christopher Murray Paul Huhne, known as Chris Huhne, (born 2 July 1954 is a British Liberal Democrat politician and the current Member of Parliament Following his strong performances as acting party leader, Vincent Cable was retained as the main Treasury spokesperson. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> John Vincent Cable, known as Vince Cable Media commentators have noted that the Clegg-Huhne-Cable triumvirate provides the Liberal Democrats with an effective political team for the coming years. ^[30] Nick Clegg has experienced problems over the EU treaty when a number of his frontbench failed to vote with the whipping arrangements.

Beliefs

In his acceptance speech upon winning the leadership contest, Clegg declared himself to be "a liberal by temperament, by instinct and by upbringing" and that he believes "Britain [is] a place of tolerance and pluralism". He declared his priorities as: defending civil liberties; devolving the running of public services to parents, pupils and patients; and protecting the environment. ^[31] In an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live on the morning after his election to the leadership, Clegg stated that he does not believe in God. ^[1][2]

Controversies and criticisms

Charles Kennedy's resignation

Clegg was a signatory to the letter circulated by Vincent Cable prior to Charles Kennedy's resignation as leader of the Liberal Democrats, which stated his opposition to working under Kennedy's continued leadership. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> John Vincent Cable, known as Vince Cable Charles Peter Kennedy (born 25 November 1959 is a British politician. ^[32] He subsequently backed Sir Menzies Campbell for the leadership, ahead of Clegg's erstwhile fellow MEP and Orange Book contributor Chris Huhne. Sir Walter Menzies Campbell CBE QC (born 22 May 1941) commonly known as Ming Campbell, is a British Politician The Orange Book Reclaiming Liberalism (ISBN 1-86197-797-2 is a book written by a group of prominent British Liberal Democrat politicians and edited Christopher Murray Paul Huhne, known as Chris Huhne, (born 2 July 1954 is a British Liberal Democrat politician and the current Member of Parliament Some commentators claim that Clegg's support was due to a hope that he would then inherit the leadership when Campbell's age eventually forced him to retire – the so-called rule that "young cardinals elect old popes". ^[33]

Sir Menzies Campbell's resignation

The Liberal Democrat party conference in 2007 came during a period of increased media speculation about Sir Menzies Campbell's leadership. Clegg therefore caused a degree of controversy when he admitted his leadership ambitions to journalists at a fringe event, for which he was rebuked by some of his frontbench colleagues. ^[34] This followed a report that Clegg had failed to hide his disloyalty to Sir Menzies Campbell's leadership. ^[35]

GQ interview

In March 2008 GQ magazine ran with an interview conducted by Piers Morgan in which Clegg admitted to sleeping with "no more than 30" women. GQ (originally Gentlemen's Quarterly) is a monthly men's Magazine focusing upon Fashion, style and culture for men through articles Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (born 30 March 1965) is a former editor of British Tabloid newspapers the News of the ^[36] Amanda Platell in the Daily Mail found Clegg's comments hypocritical. Amanda Jane Platell (born 12 November 1957 in Perth Western Australia) is a journalist now based in London, and the former press secretary of William Hague The Daily Mail is a British newspaper currently published in a tabloid format ^[37] Senior Lib Dem MPs defended his comments; Lembit Opik said it showed "you can be a human being and a party leader", and Norman Lamb that "Nick tried to be absolutely straight in everything that he does, and that might sometimes get him into trouble but he will build a reputation for being honest and straightforward. Lembit Öpik (ˈlempit ˈøpˑik in Estonian (born 2 March 1965) is a British Politician of Estonian descent Norman Peter Lamb (born 16 September 1957, Watford, Hertfordshire) is a politician in the United Kingdom. "^[38]

References

External links

• Nicholas Clegg MP official site
• Nick Clegg MP profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
• Sheffield Liberal Democrats
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Nick Clegg MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Nicholas Clegg MP
• Nick Clegg MP Open Rights Group
• The Public Whip - Nick Clegg voting record
• BBC News - Nick Clegg profile 16 October 2006
• Open Directory Project - Nick Clegg directory category
• Jasper Gerard (21 October 2007). Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Liberal intent. The Observer. The Observer is a British Newspaper published on Sundays In about the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Retrieved on 2007-11-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000

Offices held

Political offices
Preceded by Sir Menzies Campbell	Leader of the British Liberal Democrats 2007 – present	Incumbent
Preceded by Mark Oaten	Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman 2006-2007	Succeeded by Chris Huhne
European Parliament
Preceded by (new constituency)	Member of European Parliament for East Midlands 1999–2004	Succeeded by Bill Newton Dunn
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Richard Allan	Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam 2005 – present	Incumbent

Sir Walter Menzies Campbell CBE QC (born 22 May 1941) commonly known as Ming Campbell, is a British Politician The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The 2007 Liberal Democrats leadership election was held following the resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell as leader on 15 October 2007, after 19 months Mark Oaten (born 8 March 1964, Watford) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom, and Member of Parliament The Liberal Democrats are the third-largest Political party in the United Kingdom. Christopher Murray Paul Huhne, known as Chris Huhne, (born 2 July 1954 is a British Liberal Democrat politician and the current Member of Parliament The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU A Member of the European Parliament ( English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Union 's legislative body the European Parliament. East Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 6 MEPs using the D'Hondt method of Party-list proportional England Scotland and Wales Source: UK Office of the European Parliament Note Percentages are approximate Northern Ireland England Scotland and Wales Turnout for all the regions was 37 William "Bill" Newton Dunn (born 3 October 1941 in Greywell, Hampshire) is a British politician The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories Richard Beechcroft Allan (born 11 February 1966, Sheffield) was the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Sheffield A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Sheffield Hallam is a Parliamentary constituency covering the south west portion of the City of Sheffield, England. Results Overview For events leading up to the date of the election see article Pre-election day events of the United Kingdom general

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