Clegg sideswipes at Cabinet colleague Huhne
By politics.co.uk staff
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has finally got his own back on former rival Chris Huhne.
The deputy prime minister beat the energy and climate change secretary to the Lib Dem leadership in 2007 – but not before he had tarnished Clegg's reputation by dubbing him 'Calamity Clegg'.
Now Mr Huhne faces a slow-moving embarrassing scandal of his own. He is alleged to have asked someone else to take speeding points on his driving licence, to avoid political embarrassment.
In one of the best jokes seen at press gallery lunches in recent years, he observed: "I really don't know any politician who is better at getting his points across."
He added, sotto voce: "That's got him back for Calamity Clegg."
Clegg was on top form at the lunch, especially when it came to comparing a certain injunction-struck Premiership footballer with the leader of the opposition.
"Whatever I have had to suffer in the media, there are people having a more difficult time at the moment," he observed.
"Look at Ryan Giggs, look at Ed Miliband. One is a fading left-winger who has upset his brother. The other is a footballer."
