5- Nick Clegg, from Government to Facebook The image of the traitor in politics

Marie Marchand

Nick Clegg, former British Deputy Prime Minister and current Vice President of Global Affairs and Communications at Facebook, is considered today as a “traitor” by many British people. If he was the first Liberal Democrats leader to access the position of Deputy Prime Minister, in the collation government of Cameron (2010-2015), he is mostly well-known for not having been able to implement the ideas he had defended during his 2010 campaign. At the time, Clegg claimed that he was not like his opponents: his spirit of change, his attachment to ethical values and, most of all, the rejection of broken promises were based on a rhetoric of trust. However, the voted and applied policies during his mandate illustrate a completely different side of the party. What real consequences have Clegg’s actions had on his career and on the Lib Dems? Why can he be called a “traitor” and what sort of “traitor” was he really if any? Has he been able to be forgotten by choosing to work at Facebook? This article will answer these questions by comparing Nick Clegg’s political campaign speeches with the reforms engaged by the coalition government from 2010 to 2015. It will also analyze the perception of the party members along with the effects of Clegg’s decisions on the party. 

Keywords. — British politics, British Civilisation, Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrats, political treason, tuition fees scandal, coalition government. Marie Marchand, Les Cahiers d’AGORA

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