Nick Clegg denies party rifts over Conservative coalition

Published on Friday 27 August 2010 18:22

Nick Clegg has denied there are major rifts within his party over its coalition government with the Conservatives.

The Deputy Prime Minister, who has been standing in for Prime Minister David Cameron, acknowledged there was "nervousness" among Liberal Democrats over the decisions taken during its first months in office and accepted he would face difficulties at next month's party conference.

However, he said: "Debate and people expressing their views is not a bad thing."

Despite Liberal Democrats endorsing the decision to enter into the coalition there has been unrest, particularly on the Left of the party, over some aspects of policy.

During a town hall meeting in Croydon, Mr Clegg said: "Between now and our party conference in Liverpool you will read a daily digest in the press saying 'splits' and 'Lib Dems falling out'.

"I don't recognise that as the leader of the Liberal Democrats, I make it my business to talk to members."

But he added: "Is there nervousness? Of course there is."

There would also be nervousness within the Tories because coalition government was "new" for them too, he said.

"The problem at the moment is all of this is seen through the prism of the traditional language of politics - absolute defeat or absolute victory."

He said that there were people "dissenting from the sidelines" but on the whole "the thing is working well".

Some 15,000 people had joined the Lib Dems this year, he said, one-third of them since the election and members were also renewing.

He added: "Yes there are anxieties, yes we are a very democratic party as, if you want to come to our conference, you will see.

"I love the fact that there are open debates and you bet there are people who are going to be saying 'Mr Clegg, we think you got this wrong or that wrong'.

"That is what debate is about. I am the leader of a political party, not a sect."

Senior Lib Dems, including Charles Kennedy and Sir Menzies Campbell, have been reportedly uneasy about some of the decisions taken by the coalition government and the cuts it has already introduced.

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour has attempted to woo disaffected Lib Dem voters.

Mr Clegg stressed that the coalition pact between the Lib Dems and Conservatives was not "chiselled in stone".

He said: "We will fight the next general election as an independent party."