Nick Clegg hopes for a happier new year as he aims to calm grass roots

Published on Tuesday 28 December 2010 16:26

Nick Clegg moved to calm grassroots Liberal Democrat concerns over joining the Tories in government today with a pledge to start 2011 with activist-pleasing action on social mobility, civil liberties and the environment.

In a New Year message to the membership the Deputy Prime Minister conceded the party faced "testing times" although he made no direct reference to the embarrassing disclosures of disparaging remarks about Tory coalition partners by a succession of Lib Dem ministers.

And he launched a renewed defence of the decision to break a pledge to oppose rises in student tuition fees and back drastic spending and benefit cuts - insisting he had delivered on "every single one and more" of the party's general election priorities. "Well what a year! A white-knuckle election; a new coalition government; Liberals in power for the first time in 70 years," Mr Clegg wrote.

Mr Clegg said he would begin 2011 by concentrating on "three big changes" as well as campaigning for a "yes" vote in May's referendum on changing the Westminster voting system to AV - a key concession won in the coalition negotiations.

"Radical reform of our political system and restoring our hard-won civil liberties; boosting social mobility so that no child is held back by the circumstances of his or her birth; and making sure the economic recovery is green and balanced," would be his priorities, he said.