Portrait of a man who destroyed his party (and it cost us £9,000!)
HE presided over a catastrophic collapse in support for his party during five years as Deputy Prime Minister.
But that hasn’t stopped Nick Clegg being honoured with an official portrait in Parliament.
The artwork depicts the former Lib Dem leader, who was recognised for his ‘contribution to political life’, seated in the artist’s studio.
The portrait, by Scottish painter Brendan Kelly, cost taxpayers £9,000 – the price of a year’s university tuition fees since Mr Clegg’s disastrous U-turn on the issue in government.
Nonetheless, the Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art said he was an ‘obvious choice’ for a portrait given his role in the Coalition.
Mr Clegg described the painting as ‘unnervingly accurate’, adding: ‘What was even more unnerving was that when I first saw it and remarked about how pale and tired I looked, my assistant pointed out that he had captured me perfectly.’
It will be displayed alongside portraits of previous Lib Dem leaders in a Commons corridor.
Since last May Mr Clegg, who represents Sheffield Hallam, is one of only eight remaining Lib Dem MPs.