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| Clegg: We are election contenders | Clegg: We are election contenders |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Nick Clegg will make a direct appeal to disaffected Labour supporters thinking of voting Tory at the next election, in his speech to the Lib Dem conference. | Nick Clegg will make a direct appeal to disaffected Labour supporters thinking of voting Tory at the next election, in his speech to the Lib Dem conference. |
| "You don't think we're contenders. I urge you to think again," he will say. | "You don't think we're contenders. I urge you to think again," he will say. |
| The Lib Dem leader will urge them not to sleepwalk into a Tory government because they think it's the only option and to vote for "real change" instead. | The Lib Dem leader will urge them not to sleepwalk into a Tory government because they think it's the only option and to vote for "real change" instead. |
| Mr Clegg is facing a revolt from within his party over his repeated insistence on the need for public spending cuts. | Mr Clegg is facing a revolt from within his party over his repeated insistence on the need for public spending cuts. |
| Senior MPs have criticised moves to means-test child tax credits and have accused him of preaching "doom and gloom" with his call for "savage" cuts. | Senior MPs have criticised moves to means-test child tax credits and have accused him of preaching "doom and gloom" with his call for "savage" cuts. |
| It wouldn't be a Liberal Democrat conference if there weren't one or two people who were concerned about the direction Sir Menzies Campbell, former Lib Dem leader LIVE: Clegg's conference speech Send us your comments | |
| Mr Clegg will attempt to reassert his authority - and breathe some fire into the belly of rank-and-file members in Bournemouth - in what will be his final annual conference speech before the next election. | Mr Clegg will attempt to reassert his authority - and breathe some fire into the belly of rank-and-file members in Bournemouth - in what will be his final annual conference speech before the next election. |
| Aides say it will be "serious" speech setting out the scale of Mr Clegg's ambitions for the party and the country and he will deliberately avoid talk of coalitions with other parties. | Aides say it will be "serious" speech setting out the scale of Mr Clegg's ambitions for the party and the country and he will deliberately avoid talk of coalitions with other parties. |
| The party's private polling shows the next election is "wide open" and that the Lib Dems stand a chance of forming a government, they told reporters. | The party's private polling shows the next election is "wide open" and that the Lib Dems stand a chance of forming a government, they told reporters. |
| Mr Clegg will deliver 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 deliver 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." |
| 'People want hope' | |
| Mr Clegg will argue that voters have a choice at the next election between the "fake change" of the Tories and "real change" from the Lib Dems. | Mr Clegg will argue that voters have a choice at the next election between the "fake change" of the Tories and "real change" from the Lib Dems. |
| Mr Clegg has faced a battle this week with his own MPs and party members, after saying "savage" spending cuts were needed to tackle Britain's record debts. | Mr Clegg has faced a battle this week with his own MPs and party members, after saying "savage" spending cuts were needed to tackle Britain's record debts. |
| He also ruffled feathers by suggesting a "debate" on whether child benefit might have to be cut for better-off families, although he stressed in a BBC interview that the principle of universal benefits was "important". | He also ruffled feathers by suggesting a "debate" on whether child benefit might have to be cut for better-off families, although he stressed in a BBC interview that the principle of universal benefits was "important". |
| Work and pensions spokesman Steve Webb told delegates: "I think we have over-done the despair." | Work and pensions spokesman Steve Webb told delegates: "I think we have over-done the despair." |
| LIB DEM CONFERENCE TWEETS | |
| Twitter: @BBCLauraK | |
| Miriam Clegg, leader's wife, has just taken her seat #ldconf 16 minutes ago Party starting awards ceremony-hardly the BAFTAS, but thankyous to party activists who do the hard graft 27 minutes ago Conference hall already nearly full-gurkhas have their hats on and are in front row-Clegg on stage five past three 34 minutes ago Baroness Scotland's former PPS tells Radio 4 she should go as a matter of 'personal honour' About 1 hour ago Lib dems claim their polling suggests the next election is 'wide open' but won't yet show us the research About 2 hours ago What is this? | |
| He added: "Doom and gloom does not inspire and motivate people. People want it straight but they also want hope." | He added: "Doom and gloom does not inspire and motivate people. People want it straight but they also want hope." |
| Mr Clegg hit back by saying: "I know people want me to use softer language. It won't make the problem go away." | Mr Clegg hit back by saying: "I know people want me to use softer language. It won't make the problem go away." |
| The Lib Dem leader won his battle to include a proviso in the party's draft manifesto that some pledges might have to be dropped once full costings have been produced. | The Lib Dem leader won his battle to include a proviso in the party's draft manifesto that some pledges might have to be dropped once full costings have been produced. |
| But the party's Federal Policy Committee, which decides what goes in the final version of the manifesto, has said a "clear majority" of its members did not want to scrap the party's commitment to end tuition fees for undergraduates in England - something Mr Clegg has suggested might be needed. | But the party's Federal Policy Committee, which decides what goes in the final version of the manifesto, has said a "clear majority" of its members did not want to scrap the party's commitment to end tuition fees for undergraduates in England - something Mr Clegg has suggested might be needed. |
| In a letter to Mr Clegg the committee said: "Our party makes policy in an open and democratic way and... policies cannot be changed merely by assertion to the contrary." | In a letter to Mr Clegg the committee said: "Our party makes policy in an open and democratic way and... policies cannot be changed merely by assertion to the contrary." |
| But former party leader Sir Menzies Campbell said Britain's economic situation had complicated the issue of tuition fees. | But former party leader Sir Menzies Campbell said Britain's economic situation had complicated the issue of tuition fees. |
| "If you find that you have to choose between making a concession which doesn't presently exist or cutting frontline education and health services then that's a very hard choice," he told the BBC. | "If you find that you have to choose between making a concession which doesn't presently exist or cutting frontline education and health services then that's a very hard choice," he told the BBC. |
| "That's the kind of argument that we are going to have to have in the country in due course. | "That's the kind of argument that we are going to have to have in the country in due course. |
| "We're having it here in an honest and open fashion." | "We're having it here in an honest and open fashion." |
| Treasury spokesman Vince Cable, who will front the party's general election campaign with Mr Clegg, has also faced a backlash from some of the party's senior MPs over his alleged failure to consult them on his "mansion tax" proposals. | Treasury spokesman Vince Cable, who will front the party's general election campaign with Mr Clegg, has also faced a backlash from some of the party's senior MPs over his alleged failure to consult them on his "mansion tax" proposals. |
| Mr Cable was told by one that the policy of taxing the owners of £1m plus homes was "complete codswallop," while another told the BBC it had left the Lib Dem Treasury spokesman "seriously damaged". | Mr Cable was told by one that the policy of taxing the owners of £1m plus homes was "complete codswallop," while another told the BBC it had left the Lib Dem Treasury spokesman "seriously damaged". |
| Sir Menzies added: "It wouldn't be a Liberal Democrat conference if there weren't one or two people who were concerned about the direction." | Sir Menzies added: "It wouldn't be a Liberal Democrat conference if there weren't one or two people who were concerned about the direction." |