WITH news emerging that former LibDem leader Nick Clegg is set to be knighted, his party of “Sir Lose-alots have absolutely no shame”, according to an SNP MP.
Member of Parliament for Perth and North Perthshire Pete Wishart made the jibe after reports suggested that the former deputy prime minister is to become the latest LibDem knighted in the New Year’s honours list.
Senior sources in the party say he will be recognised for his five years serving as deputy to David Cameron after the LibDems formed a coalition with the Conservative Party in 2010.
Clegg joins party colleagues Vince Cable, who is the current leader of the party, and Danny Alexander, who were both knighted in 2015. Ed Davey, MP for Kingston and Surbiton, was knighted last year.
A LibDem spokesman declined to comment on the report.
“The Liberals are the greatest collectors of prize gongs in politics and they like nothing more than adding to their collection,” said Wishart.
“From their 102 unelected Lords to the Liberal Knights of the realm it is now almost mandatory for loser Liberals to be comforted with a sword to the shoulder and asked to arise.
“Now Nick Clegg is to be added to their number after failing to be elected in June,” he added.
“These embarrassing ‘Sir Lose-alots’ have absolutely no shame and by accepting this reward for failure they merely show contempt to their former constituents.”
Clegg shot into the limelight during the 2010 election campaign after promising displays in televised debates.
He was roundly believed to have outperformed Cameron and the then prime minister Gordon Brown.
“I agree with Nick,” said Cameron during the first televised General Election debate of its kind, epitomising Clegg’s performance.
However, the then LibDem leader went on to oversee his party lose five seats, despite increasing his party’s overall share of the vote.
He subsequently formed a government with Cameron’s Conservative Party after none of the parties managed to secure a majority.
“First Sir Vince, now Sir Nick — the LibDems have become a party of peers and knighthoods,” said an SNP spokesperson.
Clegg faced criticism for propping up the Tories, and for turning his back on a key manifesto pledge: to oppose any increase in student tuition fees.
“That will stick in the craw of those they betrayed on everything from student fees to imposing damaging austerity and welfare cuts that continue to do so much damage to communities and families.”
Clegg’s honour is also likely to be viewed as controversial after his prominence in the debate leading up to the EU referendum, which saw him campaign for the country to remain in the bloc. Again he was hailed for his debating techniques, this time when he took on high-profile Leaver Nigel Farage, the former leader of Ukip.
Clegg has since been an outspoken critic of the decision to leave the EU, including in his book How To Stop Brexit (And Make Britain Great Again).
Farage has since complained that he is not being considered for an honour because he is a supporter of Brexit.
“Of course I have not got an honour of any kind — I am not a Remainer,” he said.
“Every one of them got CBEs, they got knighthoods, quite extraordinary.”
The latest apparent leak follows reports that the former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr is also in line for a knighthood when the honours list is published on Saturday.
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