The thing that jumps out from Nick Clegg’s speech on families today is how aggressively – if, ultimately, unconvincingly – it sets about attacking the Tories. Yes, he also criticises Labour – but the attack on the Tories comes first and is more bitter in tone. Here’s a snippet:
“David Cameron’s social policy is focused almost obsessively on marriage, cajoling people to conform to a single view of what a happy couple should look like.
The Conservatives want marriage incentives in the tax system.
And they may adopt Iain Duncan Smith’s proposals to put in place more legal roadblocks to divorce.
This is both bizarre and patronising.
Do they really imagine people will take the lifelong commitment of marriage – or the awful decision of divorce – because of £20 a week?”
Why raise this now – after all, isn’t it part of Clegg’s job to lay into his political opponents? Well, yes.
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