The best Twitter reactions to Nick Clegg's shock Facebook hire
Ex-deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is to hang up his governmental boots as he joins challenged social giant Facebook.
Nick Clegg
Facebook's decision to appoint Nick Clegg as head of global affairs and communications has left some a little gob-smacked. Here's what Twitter had to say...
Some saw the irony
Initially popular with the young but now no longer trusted, Facebook appoints Nick Clegg.
— Stig Abell (@StigAbell) October 19, 2018
The last thing Facebook needs right now is a politician answering to all these questions... ♂️
— marco bertozzi (@m_bertozzi) October 19, 2018
There is a sad irony of a pro-Remain leader like @nick_clegg jumping ship to work for the very platform that facilitated Vote Leave's cheating in the Brexit referendum... obviously money talks. https://t.co/Q6O67hQWCF
— Christopher Wylie ️ (@chrisinsilico) October 19, 2018
Others tried to see the funny side
Nick Clegg’s first day at Facebook: ‘WhatsApp has been the transmission platform for illegal messages between US government official and foreign power that has tortured and killed a US-based journalist....oh, the coffee machine is down the hall , here’s your badge ‘ — emily bell (@emilybell) October 19, 2018
it's 2018. George Osborne runs a major newspaper. Nick Clegg owns all your data. Ed Balls is a national television celebrity. David Cameron owns a shed — James Gilmour (@Gillofthepeople) October 19, 2018
Big shout out to everyone in US tech and politics journalism currently reading the Nick Clegg Wikipedia page. — Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) October 19, 2018
Some were sceptical given Clegg's performance as the UK's deputy PM
Facebook hires Nick Clegg because selling out an entire generation for a grab at power and selling the data of an entire generation for power take pretty much the same mindset — TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) October 19, 2018
You know what ever Facebook does now to further erode democracy and your right to privacy, #nickclegg is going to say: "it would have been much worst if I had not been there to temper their excesses." — Harry Leslie Smith (@Harryslaststand) October 19, 2018
Under Nick Clegg's leadership, the Lib Dems lost 85% of their MPs and the brand was destroyed. Here's hoping he can replicate this success at Facebook. https://t.co/7V6kgySRpw — Benjamin Ramm (@BenjaminRamm) October 19, 2018
Others highlighted that Clegg is one of many MP's to end up at a tech company
Good timing from @Jack_Blanchard_ this morning of all the former politicos hoovered up by the US tech giants. pic.twitter.com/000zYwdK14 — Mark Di Stefano :call_me_hand::skin-tone-2: (@MarkDiStef) October 19, 2018
His ex-colleagues at Westminster also had something to say
So Nick Clegg is moving to Facebook, George Osborne is editor of The Standard and David Cameron is still in his shed sharpening crayons for his memoirs. What a difference a couple of years makes.https://t.co/dqRk7GOGQ8 — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) October 19, 2018
Who remembers Nick Clegg's 2010 speech when he said 'tax avoiders and evaders must have nowhere to hide”? Well, Facebook UK's tax rate was 1.4% in 2017. So I'll be asking for a meeting to hear about his plans for @facebook to start doing the right thing.... — Liam Byrne (@LiamByrneMP) October 19, 2018
Some pointed out the parallels between Clegg's rise to deputy PM and his Facebook appointment
Marmalade-dropper from the FT: Facebook hires Nick Clegg. A man who has definitely never previously accepted a job on the basis of promises he'll be able to influence
the course of a big blue juggernaut. https://t.co/zP6NiL7DAm pic.twitter.com/rz4Sbjo4iw
— Robert Hutton (@RobDotHutton) October 19, 2018
But a few people said that the hire made perfect sense
Clegg is also well connected to the European Commission, which runs the EU. He got his first job in politics through EU commissioner Leon Britton, a family friend. So Clegg is close to all the political forces that could check Facebook.
— Tom Morton (@tommorton) October 19, 2018
Tbf this makes perfect sense (to Facebook) - who better for Facebook to have to face MPs at inevitable future select committees than an ex-MP...? https://t.co/HM99HdNHx5
— Simon Neville (@SimonNeville) October 19, 2018
Facebook hiring @Nick_Clegg makes sense
They desperately need someone with deep knowledge + experience of UK/EU inter-governmental processes, rules, regulations + he probably has useful influential connections
The Q is is whether he'll fit well with the culture inside Facebook
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) October 19, 2018