Are you remembering what I'm remembering? - Part 9

Are you remembering what I'm remembering?

You are, if you're remembering November 2002 and a certain youthful Nick Clegg MEP - now leader of the Liberal Democrats - flouncing out of his job as a 'representative' in the European Empire in a hissy-fit because nobody in the UK knew the names of any MEPs and certainly did not adore or worship at their feet.

To his credit, Nick Clegg - nowhere near as popular as the more famous Last Of The Summer Wine character of Norman Clegg - did recognise that anything he touched in the European Empire was done with the lack of a meaningful mandate from the British public.

To his discredit, he tried to convince us that MEPs have huge power. They do not. They cross the letter 't' and dot the letter 'i' on legislation that has already been decided for them by a secretive little undemocratic committee.

So, Cleggy resigned in a flurry of talcum powder and got himself elected to the House of Snouts. He declared himself a man on a mission - to win the hearts and minds of the British public, and to make us more content to be in love with supranational governance.

He even had to write about his decision at length in The Guardian. Here's the evidence.

How's the battle for hearts and minds going, Cleggy?

Only, we notice that the Liberal Democrat poll rating is worse than it was under your predecessor. And under the one before that.

Meanwhile, people are flocking to UKIP.

Your party *so* should have gone with Vince Cable. Now, there's a Lib Dem capable of winning hearts and minds.

Alas, Nick Clegg - not working for you, is it?

Part of our 'Are you remembering what I'm remembering?' series.