269 lines
6.7 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
269 lines
6.7 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
news
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politics
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nick-clegg
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8535561
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-----
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# Barack Obama visit: Nick Clegg allowed to play with the big boys
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## It was feared Nick Clegg would be sidelined during the visit of Barack
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Obama, denting Liberal Democrat attempts to portray themselves as a distinct
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voice within the Coalition. But Rosa Prince explains how the Lib Dem leader
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managed to get his feet under the table.
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![Nick Clegg was happy to finally bask in the glow of Barack Obama][1]
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Image 1 of 3
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Nick Clegg was happy to finally bask in the glow of Barack Obama Photo:
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REUTERS
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![Barack Obama holds a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron (C)
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and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg][2]
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Image 1 of 3
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Barack Obama holds a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and
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Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES
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![Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg (left) talks to American President Barack
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Obama as Prime Minister David Cameron (right) looks on at 10 Downing
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Street,][3]
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Image 1 of 3
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Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg (left) talks to President Barack Obama at 10
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Downing Street Photo: PA
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[![Rosa Prince][4]][5]
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By [Rosa Prince][6], Political Correspondent 12:29PM BST 25 May 2011
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[Comments][7]
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Would he or wouldn't he be invited to play with the big boys?
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Nick Clegg's desperation to be allowed a share of the Obama star dust has at
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times appeared almost unseemly - and provided a telling glimpse into the new
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dynamics at the heart of the Coalition.
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When the agenda for the President's visit first emerged last week, there was
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an obvious omission in the form of "face time" between the Commander in Chief
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and the Deputy Prime Minister.
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No 10 let it be known somewhat sniffily that it is customary for a visiting
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president to meet only the prime minister and leader of the main opposition
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party - ie Mr Cameron and Ed Miliband.
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But since entering into the Coalition, Lib Dems have got used to punching
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above their weight, and no longer see themselves as a minor party.
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## Related Articles
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* [Barack Obama warns of difficult challenges ahead][8]
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25 May 2011
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* [LIVE: Obama addresses Houses of Parliament][9]
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25 May 2011
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* [Nick Clegg snubbed by Barack Obama][10]
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21 May 2011
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* [Michelle Obama dazzles in Tom Ford][11]
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25 May 2011
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* [Obama warns of challenges for turning point of world][8]
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25 May 2011
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Given the polyglot Mr Clegg's ambitions to play a role on the world stage,
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there was therefore anguish in yellow circles at his exclusion from the Obama
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sunlight which politicians around the world compete to bask in.
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As tense negotiations took place behind the scenes, a touchy Liberal Democrat
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spin team appeared to concede defeat, saying: "We could have had a meeting as
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leader, but we decided not to do that."
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Instead, furious negotiations began with the White House protocol department
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about the possibility of a meeting between the leader of the Free World and
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that of the Lib Dems in Mr Clegg's capacity as Deputy Prime Minister.
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It is a sign of how far his star has fallen following the disastrous AV
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referendum outcome that Mr Cameron allowed his deputy to twist in the wind.
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With no existential crisis of his own - a British prime minister is secure in
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his status internationally in a way that no deputy, with all the uncertainty
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of the role (think Prezza and Hezza) can dream of - Mr Cameron saw no reason
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to ride to Mr Clegg's rescue.
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Instead it was left to the White House to offer the DPM a choice of either a
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private "brush by" behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace, or a space around
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the table for part of the formal discussions at No 10.
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Hmmm - a secret, stolen moment or two of the President's full attention, or a
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chair in the room and the full gaze of the world's press while being
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photographed alongside the most charismatic US president since Kennedy?
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Mr Clegg chose the latter.
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visit-Nick-Clegg-allowed-to-play-with-the-big-boys.html
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Telegraph
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## [Nick Clegg][17]
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* ### [News »][18]
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* ### [Politics »][19]
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* ### [Liberal Democrats »][20]
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* ### [UK News »][21]
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* ### [Barack Obama »][22]
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In news
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[![][23] ][24]
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### [One year of coalition government][24]
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[![Nick Clegg and David Cameron give a press conference in the Downing Street
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garden. Coalition government sketch: Nick Clegg and David Cameron's awkward
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honeymoon][25] ][26]
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### [Nick Clegg pictured][26]
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[![One year of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in
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pictures][27] ][28]
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### [One year of the coalition][28]
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[![Nick Clegg, Danny Alexander, Chris Huhne and Vince Cable][29] ][30]
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### [Top 50 Lib Dems: 25-1][30]
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[![General Election 2010 results][31]][32]
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### [UK Political Database][32]
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[X][12] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][13]
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Share:
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* [ ][12]
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* [ ][14]
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* [ ][15]
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* [Tweet][16]
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* Advertisement
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![][33]
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][34] [blog
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[UK Political Database »][32]
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Search Telegraph.co.uk's UK Political Database.
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