The few slowly cheered up, taking comfort as the not-the-others party

PUTTING the press pack behind a bank of TV cameras may have been a cunning ploy to hide how few Lib Dems were in the conference hall in Birmingham for the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg’s speech yesterday, but sadly it didn’t work.

The empty seats and echoing darkness of the gallery above them – where only shadowy BBC technicians could be seen lurking – did not provide the most inspirational setting for a Deputy Prime Minister fighting for his political career.

And it may not have been particularly comforting that party president Tim Farron, the chap who has made little secret of wanting to replace Mr Clegg as leader, gave a well-received and rather cheery warm-up act for members.

But there has been an air of fatalistic resignation this week from delegates, who last year in Liverpool could barely contain their fury at going into power with the Tories

This year, after a battering over tuition fees, and a massacre in every conceivable election and electoral reform referendum, the theme was more “ah well”.

This may explain why so few bothered to turn up to listen to the man they hold responsible.

So Mr Clegg’s job was perhaps to make them feel better.

He started on a low note.

“Liberal Democrats, we have now been in government for 500 days. Not easy, is it? None of us thought it would be a walk in the park, but I suspect none of us predicted just how tough it would turn out to be. I know how painful it has been to face anger and frustration on the doorstep.

“Some of you may have even wondered: will it all be worth it in the end? It will be. And today I want to explain why.”

There was just the rustle of paper and uncomfortable movement on seats. Eventually, a few paragraphs in, came a smattering of applause – more out of loyalty than anything else.

He reminded them they had lost seats, lost supporters and lost a referendum. Looking around he could have added they had lost members.

The members sat in grumpy silence as again he tried and failed to explain why he had got a good deal for students by trebling tuition fees when the party promised to abolish them.

But he began to build from the sombre start and suddenly the few in the audience became a happy few. By the time he launched his attack on the vested interests running other parties – banks, unions, Rupert Murdoch – they were with him.

“We will never be in the pockets of anybody” was met with sustained applause and cheering.

The party had found its comfort zone again in being what it is happiest being – not the other parties.

By the time he concluded with a promise for the future of children who might never vote for him, Mr Clegg was carried out on a wave of enthusiastic support from the hall.

So it was a good speech, just a shame so few members were there to listen to it.