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| Version 13 | Version 14 |
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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 was bidding to reassert his authority after a bruising week - and reach out to disaffected Labour voters thinking of voting Tory. | The Lib Dem leader was bidding to reassert his authority after a bruising week - and reach out to disaffected Labour voters thinking of voting Tory. |
| In his speech he urged voters not to sleepwalk into a Tory government and opt for "real change" instead. | In his speech he urged voters 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". |
| Mr Clegg spoke without notes for just under 50 minutes - and his speech was greeted with a standing ovation from delegates in the Bournemouth centre, which included wife Miriam and former party leaders Lord Ashdown and Sir Menzies Campbell in the front row. | |
| Labour 'dying' | |
| The speech was also watched by group of Gurkhas, who received a round of applause after Mr Clegg said he was "honoured" they could be present. | |
| LIB DEM CONFERENCE TWEETS | LIB DEM CONFERENCE TWEETS |
| Twitter: @BBCLauraK | Twitter: @BBCLauraK |
| Evan Harris,sometime Clegg critic,says speech was 'great not good' #ldconf 3 minutes ago Audience seem quite happy but loudest applause was for Iraq-more confident than last year-hugging gurkhas now 20 minutes ago 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 36 minutes ago Tentative applause for Clegg's rationale behind his plans for cuts-no mention of 'savage' 46 minutes ago Loud and long applause for reminding crowd of Libdem opposition to Iraq #ldconf 53 minutes ago What is this? | |
| Mr Clegg deliberately chose not to talk about what might happen in the event of a hung Parliament, focusing instead on what a Liberal Democrat government would do. | |
| He stressed the party's commitment to fairer taxation and vowed to "clean up" Westminster politics including MPs' expenses. | He stressed the party's commitment to fairer taxation and vowed to "clean up" Westminster politics including MPs' expenses. |
| And he said young people were his party's top priority - and proposed a 90 day job or training guarantee for the young unemployed paid for by scrapping Labour's VAT cut. | And he said young people were his party's top priority - and proposed a 90 day job or training guarantee for the young unemployed paid for by scrapping Labour's VAT cut. |
| 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." |
| 'Mansion tax' | 'Mansion tax' |
| He began the speech by hardening his line on Afghanistan - saying there was "one more chance to turn things around". | He began the speech 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 was no mention 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 was no mention 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 briefly mentioned Vince Cable's £1m "mansion tax" in a section on rebalancing the tax system so that the wealthy pay more. | He briefly mentioned Vince Cable's £1m "mansion tax" in a section on rebalancing the tax system so that the wealthy pay more. |
| 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. |
| 'Progressive austerity' | 'Progressive austerity' |
| Mr Clegg also addressed criticism from former leader Charles Kennedy, who said the party was in danger of losing its "heart" with Mr Clegg's talk of the need for "savage" spending cuts to tackle Britain's record debts. | Mr Clegg also addressed criticism from former leader Charles Kennedy, who said the party was in danger of losing its "heart" with Mr Clegg's talk of the need for "savage" spending cuts to tackle Britain's record debts. |
| 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 |
| Unlike Labour and the Tories, the Lib Dems had "come clean" about what cuts were needed and were guided by principles of "fairness", he said. | Unlike Labour and the Tories, the Lib Dems had "come clean" about what cuts were needed and were guided by principles of "fairness", he said. |
| "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 spoke at length about what Britain would be like if the Lib Dems were in power, in what aides described beforehand as the most ambitious speech ever given by a leader of their party. | He spoke at length about what Britain would be like if the Lib Dems were in power, in what aides described beforehand as 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 ended 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 ended 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 said: "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 said: "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." |