Want my support in a hung parliament? Then pass four tests says Nick Clegg

Published on Thursday 11 March 2010 21:35

LIBERAL Democrat leader Nick Clegg has laid out the conditions for a deal with either Labour or the Conservatives in the event of a hung parliament.

The four conditions will not include a Cabinet place, although this is believed to be another demand, but are meant to be a "roadmap" for a fairer Britain.

Mr Clegg has said he will talk to the biggest party first after the election, but made it clear his choice would depend on the answers he got on his "four steps to fairness".

These include reforming the tax system to see the richer paying much more and the poorer paying less. Central to this would be a decision to increase the threshold of untaxed salary to 10,000.

He will also demand that proportional representation is introduced into Westminster elections. It is believed that the alternative vote system preferred by Gordon Brown would not get a favourable response from the Liberal Democrats, unless it was the only reform on the table.

In what could be bad news for Edinburgh and other financial services centres, Mr Clegg also intends to move away from financial services and towards a green-based economy.

His final demand, of a "pupil premium" to help the most disadvantaged school children, would only affect England.

Mr Clegg said the moves were necessary to transform Britain from the "mess" it has ended up in following the banking crisis and economic downturn.

"If a party with no majority has the strongest mandate, we accept the principle that that party has the right to govern either on its own or to reach out to others," he said. But he said "no deals" would be discussed with other parties before the votes are counted.

"We are not here to play games with other parties. We are here to secure a big mandate for the big changes we want in Britain. Once we know the lie of the land after the election, we have to work out the best way to do that."

Mr Clegg also said that, in the event of a hung parliament, to calm market nerves the Lib Dems would propose a 10 billion repayment of national debt, financed from 15bn of spending cuts to be outlined this month.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's party conference in Birmingham, Mr Clegg was critical of the Conservatives for stoking fears that a hung parliament might cause a run on sterling because of market uncertainty about the ability of a minority government to reduce Britain's record 178bn deficit.

The Lib Dem leader branded the warning as "an act of economic vandalism and a political protection racket".

FRESH IDEAS

FOUR STEPS TO FAIRNESS:

&#149 A shake-up of the tax system which would see high earners pay more and the tax allowance raised to 10,000

&#149 A switch to a greener economy that is less dependent on financial services

&#149 A more proportional voting system which reflects the balance of party voting in elections

&#149 A "pupil premium" for England to boost education spending and help children from poor families