Did Nick Clegg observe the 12 golden rules for crisis management? Er, no…

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Olly Grender knows more probably than any other Lib Dem about handling a media storm, having worked for Paddy Ashdown when the party’s fortunes were at their nadir, and done a stint in Downing Street. She distilled her wisdom into an article for the News Statesman headed “My 12 Golden Rules in a Crisis.” This invites the question of how many of the ‘golden rules’ Nick Clegg during the Rennard fire storm.

Instead of running through the lot, I will go straight to Rule 6, “the most important rule of all” according to Grender – “establish what the truth is, decide how it will be told.” Did Clegg do that? He did not.

Did he “establish a clear decision making operation”, as per Rule 1? No.

Did he, as rule 8 urges, do “the opposite of what your instincts tell you, so be more open and accessible” – By disappearing to Amsterdam yesterday? I think not.

Did he follow Rule 3 – “get good independent advice both PR and legal”? No.

Or Rule 12 – “Say sorry. Say it quickly and keep saying it”? No.

Is there one rule he can definitely be said to have followed? Sorry, no.

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• Paul_Wesson

  He’s lost Eastleigh for his candidate.

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Whiteley/100000524771111 Andrew Whiteley

  The answer will always be “No” because a politician’s first instinct is to lie, keep on lying and then lie about the lies they have already told until either a) the problem goes away or b) they have to resign. I would say resign in disgrace, but this is not a concept a politician understands. What’s really sad is that we are the mugs who vote for them. Perhaps we need a UK version of Beppe Grillo.

• tizab12

  Is it worth writing anything about this? No.

• Douglas Macdonald

  Err, probably not it might go like this…That’s good isn’t it? There are some things you should know and
  others that you don’t know except in vague detail unless you should know, then
  you might remember when you are told that you did know but it was years ago.
  Now you don’t know why there is confusion about what you did know when you did
  not know.

  Sounds familiar?
  Viral infection from Yes Minister.

• Lavoulian

  Mr Clegg has only one Golden Rule and that is to behave arrogantly all the time no matter what the circumstances.

• capa75

  I hope so, but that will only let the Nasty Party in….

• http://twitter.com/twogreatV8s Alan Borgars

  Indeed,capa75…Maria Hutchings is pretty bad (morally as well as competently) by Conservative standards….

• capa75

  She ought to fit in very well then, sounds like she has a good start