The role of Lord Rennard in Lib Dem campaign
Guido Fawkes has been exploring the role of Lord (Chris) Rennard in the Lib Dem campaign. , despite the fact that he resigned last year as chief executive.
And this morning .
And yet Lib Dem press officer Phil Reilly emphatically told Guido that Rennard had no role in the campaign.
Why this apprent Lib Dem cover up? And why are the party so sensitive anyway?
It may be the circumstances of Rennard's departure.
Officially he left his job as party chief executive for health reasons; unofficially for other reasons, such as his House of Lords allowance claims.
But did Rennard resign or was he fired by the party? I was told by a very senior Liberal Democrat last summer that Rennard was, in fact, "sacked".
Subsequently I did a campaign interview with Nick Clegg during the Norwich North by-election. Four times I put questions to Clegg - on camera - in which I said I understood that Rennard had been "sacked".
In none of his four answers did Nick Clegg ever try to deny my assertion that Rennard was fired.
Clegg could have said to me: "No Michael, we didn't fire Chris, he resigned."
But very noticeably, he didn't.
So perhaps the Liberal Democrats could clear things up for us. Is Rennard working for them now in any capacity? And did he resign as chief executive or was he sacked?
And if he was sacked, why?
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 21st Apr 2010, David Waldock wrote:Why does it matter?
This is clearly an issue of fact, but what issues of value does it represent?
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Comment number 2.
At 21st Apr 2010, tawse57 wrote:Good grief - Gordon Brown has been in Swansea today. He was here a few weeks ago also. Fantastic - no visit in 13 years and now two visits in a matter of weeks.
Nick Clegg was here yesterday.
Something is going on - usually we don't get any politicians turning up in Swansea during elections as the city has been Labour Red since shortly after that comet hit and wiped out all the dinosaurs.
I wonder if there is another dinosaur wiping out comet on the way?
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Comment number 3.
At 21st Apr 2010, barriesingleton wrote:THE STRANGE CASE OF THE FOX THAT WASN'T SLY
Wasn't Rennard the one who didn't get round to asking 'how much' regarding Fred's pay-off? He always gives the impression of not being very bright, TO ME. Mind you, his inquisitors failed to ask 'why not', with any vigour. It's another world.
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Comment number 4.
At 22nd Apr 2010, JunkkMale wrote:No harm, no foul.
Mr. Clegg is Teflon. A lone warrior against the media that doesn’t support him (if rather supported by some others who do making him less ‘lone’).
Pursuing him on this is just a grotesque series of smears by a media establishment that is meant to love him because he's 'new', using nothing more than beastly recorded facts.
And using a bloke’s own words to assess their views is just plain unsporting.
Ask Gordon or David.
'So perhaps the Liberal Democrats could clear things up for us.'
Not sure that is how it works. Any more.
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Comment number 5.
At 22nd Apr 2010, stevie wrote:my grandfather saw Lloyd George in Swansea once..I think it was the only time he went there too
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Comment number 6.
At 22nd Apr 2010, tawse57 wrote:5 stevie: -
"my grandfather saw Lloyd George in Swansea once..I think it was the only time he went there too"
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Must have been when he became friends with my grandfather.
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