Firstly, being a member of another party does not preclude you from later joining another party, or even becoming leader. Its well documented that Vince Cable was once a member of the Labour Party, we don’t complain about that. His actions have shown him to be a liberal.
Famously Gladstone was a Tory, a high Tory at that, but he reconsidered his views and became a robust liberal, becoming one of the greatest Liberals ever.
Churchill went hither and thither, being a Tory then a Liberal minister and finally becoming Tory leader. Such switching is surely greater cause for concern.
Secondly, I doubt many people enter University with a fully formed set of political views. The only people I knew who had were arrogant Tory boys and fervent socialists. (I myself had a strange fusion of conservatism and socialism as loosely held beliefs, with some unrecognised liberalism emerging - it wasn’t until my third year that I started developing any political beliefs)
Even if Clegg was once a Tory boy (an unlikely situation), he certainly is not now, and has not been for a long time, so that would have little bearing on his liberal credentials.
If Clegg was a member of the CUCU, then so what? The allegation is that he was a member for one year. He obviously didn’t take any massive part in the society and he didn’t renew his membership. Hardly signs of dedication to the Tory party.
In my experience people join all sorts of societies in Fresher’s Week. People then take part sporadically in those societies and let their memberships lapse.
I suppose some will try to make a lot of this. Clegg may have backed himself into a corner as well. I’m sure the so-called radicals will be crowing about how Clegg is an evil ‘Orange Booker’ and a secret Tory too…
