Friday, March 07, 2008

Clegg and Scleroticism

According to the BBC website...
Nick Clegg has vowed to fight Britain's "sclerotic" political system as he attempts to draw a line under criticism of his handling of a Commons EU vote.

I always find it helps to use words that most people will understand when making a political speech or giving an interview. Does he really think the word "sclerotic" will chime with many people?!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know. In one of his books, Enoch Powell observed that even in its most arterio-sclerotic phase, the Roman Empire never issued orders governing the production of milk and bread like the EEC was doing even in the 1970s. It's a shame that Clegg doesn't brush up on some of Powell's most incise writing about the set of institutions that was to become Clegg's beloved EU.

DiscoveredJoys said...

Isn't the sclero the unit of EU currency?

Anonymous said...

I thought it was something to do with your eyeballs ? If you haven't already seen it, check out Steve Bell's cartoon of Nick Clegg in the Guardian.

Even if you aren't a fan of Steve Bell I guarantee it will raise a smile...

Daily Referendum said...

Clegg has exhibited the most singular and ostentatious pedantry.

Anonymous said...

I am pleased you have highlighted this. When I first read the article on the BBC website I looked up "sclerotic" in my online dictionary...

1 Relating to or having sclerosis; hardened
2.Of or relating to the sclera of the eyeball

I was still none the wiser!

Anonymous said...

Did Cleggy use his predecessor Charlie boy as inspiration for the sclerotic comment I wonder?

Does this mean Clegg is recommending closing all the bars in the HoC if its that bad!

Tsk Tsk Tsk

Anonymous said...

The man's a flop, despite the good press he had before he was elected to a post which is clearly beyond him. Since much of our politics has been given away and Clegg appears to want to get shot of the rest why does he want to spend his time reforming the remains of UK politics? And why does he think he's the man to reform it anyway?

Anonymous said...

Nick Clegg - the man that puts the erotic in sclerotic...

Bill Quango MP said...

What's he got against that little slot car racing game ?
It may be quite hard but to ban it ?

Justin said...

Fancy Clegg using clever words. What a nihilist.

Newmania said...

Bit of genius from JT there. I think Clegg may have had the use of sclerotic as the insult of choice for the EU. Its a desperate attempt to make the Liberal Party look like the Party of popular change when they are the Party gumming up the works in a manner I can only call sclerotic.

Interesting that he is in effect designating the electorate as an unfortunate condition.

Anonymous said...

Yes, God forbid we should have a literate political leader.

Chas said...

Since the purpose of the comment was to be uninteligible, what better way than to use a word people do not understand?