Anti-Cleggism not confined to Russia

THE FRIDAY THING: THREE politicians, past and present, have pushed their way back into the limelight, confirming what I have long thought: some people in powerful places just can’t leave it behind.

There are also some surprises in the antics of our politicians - for instance the decision of the Russian government to ban Nick Clegg from Russia.

Clegg, unbelievably, is among 89 Westerners on a secret blacklist banning them from the country. Now what on earth can Vladimir Putin have against Clegg? Is he seen as a danger to Russia? Perhaps Putin thinks Nick will try and establish a Russian Liberal democracy.

That Clegg couldn’t get elected in his own backyard hardly suggests he is a secret weapon to use against Russia.

What he should have done was to take a leaf out of Tony Blair’s book, which would have allowed him to stay in the public eye and make more money than he has probably ever seen before.

The word is that Blair made at least £20 million, but all is not running smoothly. A speech by the former PM on how to feed the poor was dropped when organisers said the cost of a Blair speech was too high. Let us not forget Blair has been paid by the governments of Kazakhstan (£16m) and Kuwait (£27m). No wonder he has a central London home and a country retreat in Buckinghamshire worth £10.75m.