Spring is here! (If you follow the solar calendar)
For anyone suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the winter months…
By Robert Taylor on the February 7th, 2024
I can hardly believe it. Just two years ago I gave Nick Clegg a miserable 3 out of 10 for his major pre-conference interview with Andrew Marr of the BBC. For his interview last Sunday I give him 9 out of 10.
This was a much more relaxed Clegg, with none of the theatricals of 2011. It was authentic, genuine and powerful. But more than that, he had a simple, clear message, which was easy to grasp, logical and, even if you don’t agree with it, compelling: that only with the LibDems in government will you get a fair recovery. With the Tories you’ll get an unfair recovery; with Labour, no recovery at all. It was a message that he signposted, repeated and gave evidence to support. No viewer could miss it.
For those of us who train people to do media interviews, Clegg’s performance is hugely encouraging. It shows that with training (I assume he’s had plenty) and practice you can go from zero to hero in not much time.
What could Clegg do to go from a 9/10 to a perfect score? Slow down; stop giving lists of achievements, and instead go into one item in greater depth; don’t shoehorn in the words “Liberal Democrat” quite so often and so obviously – it’s over-sell.
But I’m being picky. Clegg has set the bar high. Will Ed be able to match him this coming Sunday? Watch this space.
