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Senior Lib Dem accused of Nazi slur over 'skinhead' William Hague
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent22.09.09
Senior Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne was today accused of planning a “Nazi slur” on William Hague.
In his keynote speech to his party's annual rally, Mr Huhne was intending to brand Mr Hague a “skinhead who has toured the beer cellars of central Europe”.
Late last night he pulled the startling attack, which was in a draft copy of his address. But details leaked out this morning through a Tory-supporting website and the BBC leaving Conservative MPs appalled.
Ilford North MP Lee Scott, a friend of shadow foreign secretary Mr Hague, said: “This Nazi slur is an insult on William as a human being.
“It's not only offensive, it's outrageous.”
Lib-Dems are desperate to highlight policy differences with the Tories to combat David Cameron's “love-bombing” of liberal-minded voters.
Criticising the Tory decision to leave the main centre-Right European People's Party to form a new group, Mr Huhne told delegates in Bournemouth: “Dave's dumped the Tories' long term allies to jump into bed with the wackos and the weirdos.
“He says he cares about human rights, but then cuddles up to a Latvian party that celebrates Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS.”
However, he omitted the next sentence in his draft which was: “Skinhead Hague has toured the beer cellars of central Europe, and has come up with the dregs.”
This was replaced with: “You can tell a lot about a party by the company it keeps.”
But the BBC quizzed Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg's chief-of-staff Danny Alexander on the “skinhead” line this morning.
Mr Alexander said: “Chris Huhne is making an important point about the other parties with whom the Conservatives have chosen to associate with in the European Parliament.
“There was a line in an early draft and I think he decided that the substance of that was important, not getting into a discussion on William Hague's hairstyle or drinking habits.”
Mr Huhne's aggressive politics has caused trouble in the past. During the leadership battle to replace Sir Menzies Campbell, his team labelled Nick Clegg “Calamity Clegg”.
In his attempt to woo liberal voters, Mr Cameron has claimed that there is barely a “cigarette paper” between the two parties on many issues.
Tory party chiefs decided not to respond robustly to Mr Huhne's comments which could have undermined this strategy.
A spokesman said: “We are glad that Chris Huhne has seen sense and withdrawn his comments.
“Instead of trying to create artificial dividing lines between liberal policies and ours, the Liberal Democrats should join us in one progressive liberal movement that can bring real change.”
Mr Huhne's attack came after Vince Cable mocked shadow Chancellor George Osborne's business experience as limited to the “Bullingdon Club bar accounts”.
The Lib-Dem Treasury spokesman also accused the Tories of being “callow and pitifully ill-equipped - politically, morally and intellectually - for the task ahead”.
But as the insults fly, many at the conference are discussing the possibility of coalition or informal arrangements to support a minority government.
Mr Clegg is reluctant to discuss the prospects of coalition. But Mr Huhne told delegates: “For the first time in a generation we can and should wield national power.”
Reader views (5)
"liberal-minded voters"
Is that not an oxymoron?
- Bob, Cheam
Should the Tories had said something about a LibDem politian there would have been uproar. We have st Vince who just copies what everyone else has already said and changes a few words I found him out ages ago. Then we have Nick Clegg trying to look like David Cameron even down to the hairstyle and the way he speaks David Cameron was education at Eton and Clegg seems to have adopted an Eton slant on his speech has anyone else seen it. Chris Huhne needs his head testing how many ment these day who have lost their hair shave the rest off Williams Hague is a very clever astute man Huhne is supposed to be an economist William Hague is brilliant at business he went to the famout French college at fonteinbleu famed for business studies and he is a grammar school boy unlike Huhne.If the Lib dems do not know now why people do not like them they never will know they used to be called the Whiggs and the one and the last time they were in power they bankrupted the country and that is fact and that is why they will not get on their ideas are silly and fanciful and they are playing at it
- Jacqui Williams, peterborough cambs
But Mr Huhne told delegates: “For the first time in a generation we can and should wield national power.”
Does he really believe that? Did he base this on opinion polls or what the fairy in the bottom of his beer glass said?
- Tom, Watford (UK)
What was all that talk about the Lib-Dems "growing up"?
- Dannyp, Egham
"the term should not be used for fear it could distract from the substance of his keynote conference speech" - this looks promising: apparently the speech will have substance!
- Roz, France
