Nick Points Out What Progressive is, Not What it Sounds Like

How progressive are the Labour and Conservative parties?

Listening to David Cameron brandy the word about, or Gordon Brown you'd think they are at the cutting edge. However, speaking on the BBC's Hard Talk programme Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg pointed out some of the areas they have blocked progressive ideas.

"David Cameron talks about change, but none of the Conservative MPs who avoided capital gains tax or made huge profits flipping their homes were forced to resign. He promised to give people the right to sack corrupt MPs but then the Conservatives voted against a law that would do just that. They have made it clear they will block attempts to make the voting system fair. They walked out on cross-party talks on party funding and refused to cap donations.

"Labour promised to clean up politics and make it fair but they failed. They wouldn't even push through reform after the expenses scandal. They went back on their promise to change the voting system.

"They failed to make the House of Lords elected and accountable to voters. They failed to clean up party funding because they rely on the unions. And they blocked attempts to give people the right to sack corrupt MPs. Labour will never change the political system."

They are talking about change, but have especially in the last few months had a chance to do something about it, bring about real change and restore faith in our politicians. So they talking about change yet again, change that will affect us, where is the evidence from their past that anything will change.

In Scotland of course the evidence that the Lib Dems can bring about change is there to be seen. Many of the policies in the first eight years of the Scottish Parliament that bring about major difference from England and to an extent Wales were a result of Lib Dem influence. We have made a fairer voting system for local councils, we have free personal care for the elderly, not the £8,000 insurance scheme on retirement that David Cameron is promising, we have made scrapped top up fees for students, a pledge we are keeping at a UK wide level. To name but a few.