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| Clegg 'aims to be prime minister' | Clegg 'aims to be prime minister' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Nick Clegg has shunned talk of deals with other parties in a keynote conference speech and instead told Lib Dems: "I want to be prime minister." | Nick Clegg has shunned talk of deals with other parties in a keynote conference speech and instead told Lib Dems: "I want to be prime minister." |
| The Lib Dem leader is bidding to reassert his authority after a bruising week - and reach out to disaffected Labour voters thinking of voting Tory. | The Lib Dem leader is bidding to reassert his authority after a bruising week - and reach out to disaffected Labour voters thinking of voting Tory. |
| In his speech he will urge them not to sleepwalk into a Tory government and opt for "real change" instead. | In his speech he will urge them not to sleepwalk into a Tory government and opt for "real change" instead. |
| The Lib Dems say their private polling shows the next election is "wide open". | The Lib Dems say their private polling shows the next election is "wide open". |
| Instead of talking about what might happen in the event of a hung Parliament, Mr Clegg, who is delivering his keynote speech at the Bournemouth International Centre, will focus on what a Liberal Democrat government would do. | Instead of talking about what might happen in the event of a hung Parliament, Mr Clegg, who is delivering his keynote speech at the Bournemouth International Centre, will focus on what a Liberal Democrat government would do. |
| I want to be prime minister because I have spent half my lifetime imagining a better society Nick Clegg, Lib Dem leader LIVE: Clegg's conference speech Send us your comments | I want to be prime minister because I have spent half my lifetime imagining a better society Nick Clegg, Lib Dem leader LIVE: Clegg's conference speech Send us your comments |
| He said: "Labour is dying on its feet. We are replacing them as the dominant force of progressive politics. We are the alternative to a hollow Conservative Party that offers just an illusion of change." | He said: "Labour is dying on its feet. We are replacing them as the dominant force of progressive politics. We are the alternative to a hollow Conservative Party that offers just an illusion of change." |
| He will stress the party's commitment to fairer taxation and vow to "clean up" Westminster politics including MPs' expenses. He will propose a 90 day job guarantee for unemployed young people paid for by scrapping Labour's VAT cut. | He will stress the party's commitment to fairer taxation and vow to "clean up" Westminster politics including MPs' expenses. He will propose a 90 day job guarantee for unemployed young people paid for by scrapping Labour's VAT cut. |
| 'Mansion tax' | 'Mansion tax' |
| He began by hardening his line on Afghanistan - saying there was "one more chance to turn things around". | He began by hardening his line on Afghanistan - saying there was "one more chance to turn things around". |
| "I know some of you believe we should call for British troops to withdraw now," he told delegates. | "I know some of you believe we should call for British troops to withdraw now," he told delegates. |
| "If things continue on the present disastrous course, then sooner or later that is a judgement which we may need to make." | "If things continue on the present disastrous course, then sooner or later that is a judgement which we may need to make." |
| But there is no mention in the speech of dropping a pledge to scrap university tuition fees from its next manifesto - a suggestion which sparked open warfare in the party at the start of the week. | But there is no mention in the speech of dropping a pledge to scrap university tuition fees from its next manifesto - a suggestion which sparked open warfare in the party at the start of the week. |
| He will briefly mention Vince Cable's £1m "mansion tax" in a section on rebalancing the tax system so that the wealthy pay more. | He will briefly mention Vince Cable's £1m "mansion tax" in a section on rebalancing the tax system so that the wealthy pay more. |
| 'Progressive austerity' | 'Progressive austerity' |
| The 0.5% levy on owners of £1m-plus homes sparked a backlash from some of the party's senior MPs earlier in the week, prompting an admission from the Treasury spokesman that he could have consulted more widely before announcing it. | The 0.5% levy on owners of £1m-plus homes sparked a backlash from some of the party's senior MPs earlier in the week, prompting an admission from the Treasury spokesman that he could have consulted more widely before announcing it. |
| Mr Clegg will also address criticism from former leader Charles Kennedy, who said the party was in danger of losing its "heart" with Mr Clegg's talk of "savage" spending cuts. | Mr Clegg will also address criticism from former leader Charles Kennedy, who said the party was in danger of losing its "heart" with Mr Clegg's talk of "savage" spending cuts. |
| LIB DEM CONFERENCE TWEETS | LIB DEM CONFERENCE TWEETS |
| Twitter: @BBCLauraK | Twitter: @BBCLauraK |
| Clegg's eldest son has already written to Santa-but not many goodies so far for activists in speech-they like tax plans though #ldconf 7 minutes ago Tentative applause for Clegg's rationale behind his plans for cuts-no mention of 'savage' 16 minutes ago Loud and long applause for reminding crowd of Libdem opposition to Iraq #ldconf 24 minutes ago Clegg gets applause for mentioning former leaders!Kennedy not here but Ashdown in the crowd #ldconf 25 minutes ago Clegg wants to sound ambitious 'I want to be PM'-no notes either#ldconf 35 minutes ago What is this? | |
| Unlike Labour and the Tories, the Lib Dems had "come clean" about what cuts were needed and were guided by principles of fairness, he will say. | Unlike Labour and the Tories, the Lib Dems had "come clean" about what cuts were needed and were guided by principles of fairness, he will say. |
| "Not just austerity, but progressive austerity. Reducing the deficit, yes, but also building a fair society and a green economy. | "Not just austerity, but progressive austerity. Reducing the deficit, yes, but also building a fair society and a green economy. |
| "Still driven by generosity of spirit, but fit for the circumstances of the day. It's the only way to deliver real change in Britain." | "Still driven by generosity of spirit, but fit for the circumstances of the day. It's the only way to deliver real change in Britain." |
| He will speak at length about what Britain would be like if the Lib Dems were in power, in what aides were saying is the most ambitious speech ever given by a leader of their party. | He will speak at length about what Britain would be like if the Lib Dems were in power, in what aides were saying is the most ambitious speech ever given by a leader of their party. |
| "I want to be prime minister because I have spent half my lifetime imagining a better society. And I want to spend the next half making it happen," he told the party faithful. | "I want to be prime minister because I have spent half my lifetime imagining a better society. And I want to spend the next half making it happen," he told the party faithful. |
| Mr Clegg will end by delivering a message to voters who do not usually vote Lib Dem or have given up on voting altogether, telling them: "Don't stay at home, don't vote Conservative just because you think it's the only option." | Mr Clegg will end by delivering a message to voters who do not usually vote Lib Dem or have given up on voting altogether, telling them: "Don't stay at home, don't vote Conservative just because you think it's the only option." |
| He will say: "If you supported Labour in 1997 because you wanted fairness, you wanted young people to flourish, you wanted political reform, you wanted the environment protected, or you simply believed in a better future, turn to the Liberal Democrats. | He will say: "If you supported Labour in 1997 because you wanted fairness, you wanted young people to flourish, you wanted political reform, you wanted the environment protected, or you simply believed in a better future, turn to the Liberal Democrats. |
| "I know there are people who agree with a lot of what we've got to say, but who still don't vote Liberal Democrat. You don't think we're contenders. I urge you to think again." | "I know there are people who agree with a lot of what we've got to say, but who still don't vote Liberal Democrat. You don't think we're contenders. I urge you to think again." |