Wonder what Nick Clegg is thinking

Jared O’Mara to take time out for mental health problems

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...alth-problems?

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Originally Posted by life on mars

Jared O’Mara to take time out for mental health problems

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...alth-problems?

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Jared O'Mara is my MP.

No one had heard of him before the 2017 election. He was one of many candidates across most parties who were selected in a hurry, not adequately vetted, and subsequently turned out to have a load of skeletons in the cupboard (mainly in his social media record).

It wasn't Jared O'Mara who won the seat from Clegg - it was the Labour Party. Any candidate would have won at that time as Clegg was so toxic after his role in the Austerity Coalition (and a lot of students in Sheffield Hallam who despised him for the fees U turn).

He has done nothing as an MP. He no longer holds surgeries, has no remaining staff and no local office. I'm sure he's in a bad way, but he should have resigned 18 months ago and triggered a by election. I think Labour would have struggled to keep hold of the seat from the Lib Dems if that had happened (mainly because of a backlash against O'Mara) but at least we would have had a proper MP in place.

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Originally Posted by jon1959

Jared O'Mara is my MP.

No one had heard of him before the 2017 election. He was one of many candidates across most parties who were selected in a hurry, not adequately vetted, and subsequently turned out to have a load of skeletons in the cupboard (mainly in his social media record).

It wasn't Jared O'Mara who won the seat from Clegg - it was the Labour Party. Any candidate would have won at that time as Clegg was so toxic after his role in the Austerity Coalition (and a lot of students in Sheffield Hallam who despised him for the fees U turn).

He has done nothing as an MP. He no longer holds surgeries, has no remaining staff and no local office. I'm sure he's in a bad way, but he should have resigned 18 months ago and triggered a by election. I think Labour would have struggled to keep hold of the seat from the Lib Dems if that had happened (mainly because of a backlash against O'Mara) but at least we would have had a proper MP in place.

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In reflection and bypassing his decision to form the coalition, do you feel Clegg did stuff for his local constituents , more that Labour ??

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Originally Posted by life on mars

In reflection and bypassing his decision to form the coalition, do you feel Clegg did stuff for his local constituents , more that Labour ??

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He was a better constituency MP than Jared O'Mara. But that is a very low bar to jump. If you want to make it a comparison between parties, then most of the local Labour MPs are better at representing their areas - but none of them were party leader, so it is different.

He was in one of those TV documentaries about MPs a few years ago - others were Jacob Rees-Mogg and Naz Shah. I think it was pretty fair about him (probably all of them). Clegg did some constituency stuff well. He also used his constituency to test out LibDem policies. He was also absent a lot of the time (party leader business, foreign trips and national media) and I think his local staff did most of the work. I had a bit to do with him when I worked for the Council and he always seemed to be clever but distant. 6/10.

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Originally Posted by jon1959

He was a better constituency MP than Jared O'Mara. But that is a very low bar to jump. If you want to make it a comparison between parties, then most of the local Labour MPs are better at representing their areas - but none of them were party leader, so it is different.

He was in one of those TV documentaries about MPs a few years ago - others were Jacob Rees-Mogg and Naz Shah. I think it was pretty fair about him (probably all of them). Clegg did some constituency stuff well. He also used his constituency to test out LibDem policies. He was also absent a lot of the time (party leader business, foreign trips and national media) and I think his local staff did most of the work. I had a bit to do with him when I worked for the Council and he always seemed to be clever but distant. 6/10.

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I wonder how deep he regrets the leap towards Cameron , and not Brown , reflecting on the decesion I do wonder if a Lib / Lab government may have stopped this awful current chaos?

He certainly sent the Liberals back into the wilderness .

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Originally Posted by life on mars

I wonder how deep he regrets the leap towards Cameron , and not Brown , reflecting on the decesion I do wonder if a Lib / Lab government may have stopped this awful current chaos?

He certainly sent the Liberals back into the wilderness .

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You’re right LOM, I agree 👍

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-49139758

Looks like he's done the decent thing ,what I don't get , it's reported that Sheffield has a decent Labour structure ,why pick this lad then , surely you would vet and know him ,it appears his social media behaviour was visible ?

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Originally Posted by life on mars

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-49139758

Looks like he's done the decent thing ,what I don't get , it's reported that Sheffield has a decent Labour structure ,why pick this lad then , surely you would vet and know him ,it appears his social media behaviour was visible ?

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I don't remember all the details but the lead up to the 2017 election was unusual and rushed for most if not all of the major parties who had loads of constituencies without candidates in place when Theresa May did her U turn and called the snap election. The initial Labour candidate selection wasn't done locally because of the time pressures.

I have a close mate who was on a number of Labour NEC sub-committees for Unite - and he was involved in a near industrial process of candidate selection done nationally - in London - with a number of selection panels each going through a large number of constituencies without a candidate to (I think) shortlist and then propose a single candidate. I think that recommendation then went to the constituency party for ratification or challenge. But it was all done against the clock and the normal due process (and vetting process) was cut down.

O'Mara wasn't the only duff candidate who emerged - for a lot of parties who also had to fast-track the job.

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Originally Posted by jon1959

I don't remember all the details but the lead up to the 2017 election was unusual and rushed for most if not all of the major parties who had loads of constituencies without candidates in place when Theresa May did her U turn and called the snap election. The initial Labour candidate selection wasn't done locally because of the time pressures.

I have a close mate who was on a number of Labour NEC sub-committees for Unite - and he was involved in a near industrial process of candidate selection done nationally - in London - with a number of selection panels each going through a large number of constituencies without a candidate to (I think) shortlist and then propose a single candidate. I think that recommendation then went to the constituency party for ratification or challenge. But it was all done against the clock and the normal due process (and vetting process) was cut down.

O'Mara wasn't the only duff candidate who emerged - for a lot of parties who also had to fast-track the job.

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Explains a lot.

Cleggs political career was probably always a vehicle that was intended to transport him into the kind of prominent role he is in now so I would imagine while he is somewhat interested he won't be sobbing into his cornflakes thinking 'oh what could have been'