Nick Clegg to be awarded '˜knighthood in New Year's Honours'

Former Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg is to receive a knighthood in the New Year's Honours list according to reports. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images

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The ex-Liberal Democrat leaders is to become ‘Sir Nick’ when the full list of those to be honoured is published on Saturday, according to the Daily Mail.

Mr Clegg was head of the Liberal Democrats when they went into a formal coalition with the Conservatives in 2010 having become a new face on the political scene following impressive showings in election TV debates.

Students took to the streets in protest in 2010 and was burned in effigy. The Lib Dems were said to have lost the trust of the voting public having reneged on a pledge not to increase university tuition fees during the election campaign.

He resigned from the party leadership in 2015 following the general election when the Lib Dems saw their number of seats reduced to eight from 57.

The 50-year-old has been advocate of Britain remaining in Europe, saying that Brexit “will be deeply damaging” if it happens. He has travelled to Brussels to meet with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and called for a second vote in September.

A Lib Dems spokesperson said: “We don’t comment on any honours list speculation.”

Mr Clegg was educated at one of the top private schools in the UK, Westminster, going on to work in Hungary and then Brussels for the European Commissioner Leon Brittan.

He went into the Commons as MP for Sheffield Hallam in 2005, becoming leader of the Lib Dems in 2007.