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Nick Clegg tells Nigel Farage to work harder in Europe BBC to host Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage TV debate
(about 9 hours later)
Nick Clegg is to accuse UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage and his colleagues in the European Parliament of failing to "stand up for Britain". Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage are to go head-to-head on BBC television in a debate on Britain's future in Europe.
In a speech on the EU's role later, Mr Clegg will say Mr Farage "rarely" turns up to vote in Brussels and should "get down to work". The hour-long debate will be shown on BBC2 from 7pm on Wednesday, 2 April, and will be hosted by David Dimbleby.
The comments come after the two leaders agreed to hold a TV debate. Mr Clegg's Liberal Democrats are the most pro-EU of the main parties at Westminster, while Mr Farage's UKIP advocates withdrawing from the EU.
UKIP said it alone had prevented the UK from "sleepwalking" into giving away more sovereignty.
Mr Clegg's Liberal Democrats are seen as the most pro-European of the main parties at Westminster, while Mr Farage's UKIP advocates withdrawing from the EU.
They have been involved in a growing spat over the issue, ahead of May's European elections.They have been involved in a growing spat over the issue, ahead of May's European elections.
Last month, Mr Farage accepted Mr Clegg's invitation to a televised "open debate" on whether the UK should stay in the EU.Last month, Mr Farage accepted Mr Clegg's invitation to a televised "open debate" on whether the UK should stay in the EU.
'Roll up sleeves' 'Fantastic opportunity'
In a speech to the Centre for European Reform think tank later, the deputy prime minister will launch an attack on his rival, saying: "Nigel Farage and deputy leader Paul Nuttall rarely turn up to vote in the European Parliament, despite being happy to take their taxpayer-funded salaries. The BBC said the televised debate would take place in front of an audience "selected by a reputable polling organisation to be demographically representative and with an equal number of people for and against British membership of the EU". Questions will come from the audience members.
James Harding, Director of BBC News and Current Affairs, said: "We are delighted to have negotiated successfully to broadcast this important debate. Europe is always a highly charged issue in British politics and this is a fantastic opportunity to test the arguments."
Mr Clegg last month challenged the UKIP leader to a debate on his weekly phone-in programme on LBC radio, which will also host a clash between the two party leaders.
He said: "I will challenge Nigel Farage to a public, open debate about whether we should be in or out of the EU, because that is now the choice facing this country and he is the leader of the party of 'out'; I am the leader of the party of 'in'.
"I think it's time we now have a proper, public debate so that the public can listen to the two sides of the argument and judge from themselves."
In response, Mr Farage said he wanted the Conservative and Labour leaders to join in a four-man debate, which he suggested should take place during the European election campaign in April or May.
But he said he would take on the Lib Dem leader in a head-to-head debate even if the other party leaders declined.
UKIP is consistently ahead of the Lib Dems in national opinion polls, with Mr Farage claiming his party is in with a chance of topping the polls at the European elections.
The Liberal Democrat party president Tim Farron, by contrast, is warning his party it faces the "fight of their lives" to retain its 12 MEPs.
'Quite wrong'
Mr Clegg, who has known Mr Farage since his days as an MEP, between 1999 and 2004, has opted to launch an all out attack on his Eurosceptic rivals, focusing on their voting record in Brussels and Strasbourg.
In a speech on the EU's role to the Centre for European Reform, Mr Clegg accused Mr Farage and his colleagues of failing to "stand up for Britain" in the European Parliament.
"Nigel Farage and deputy leader Paul Nuttall rarely turn up to vote in the European Parliament, despite being happy to take their taxpayer-funded salaries," he said.
"UKIP MEPs refuse to roll up their sleeves and get down to work. Nigel Farage hasn't tabled a single amendment to EU legislation since July 2009.""UKIP MEPs refuse to roll up their sleeves and get down to work. Nigel Farage hasn't tabled a single amendment to EU legislation since July 2009."
But Mr Clegg, himself a former MEP, will acknowledge a need for some reform, saying: "Where the EU has become intrusive, it needs to be pushed back. Mr Farage hit back at his rival's claims, saying: "Nick Clegg has some cheek raising attendance and voting records. Although Nick Clegg lives in London, between 2010 and 2014 he has voted in Westminster only 22.6% of the time.
"We want to keep the UK opted out of rules we believe are damaging, like the 48-hour cap on the working week in the Working Time Directive. "By contrast I live eight hours away from Strasbourg, lead a national party and have voted 55% of the time in the European Parliament.
"Working with our allies, the UK is already taking action to cut excessive EU red tape, saving thousands of pounds for thousands of small business across Britain." "Furthermore from 2005-10 Nick Clegg's voting record in Westminster was only 42.5% and for much of that period he was not leader of the Lib Dems.
UKIP said its campaigning had ensured the UK would not "sleepwalk into losing every last ounce of sovereignty". "Can you please explain the criticism Mr Clegg?
A spokesman added that it was pointless sitting on "spurious committees [within the European Parliament], passing more and more powers to the EU". "And by the way, some of our UKIP MEPs have a very high voting record with Stuart Agnew 91%., Derek Clark 80%, and Roger Helmer 88%."
He also said that the group of MEPs that he leads, the "Europe of Freedom and Democracy", had "put down hundreds of amendments since 2009, so factually Nick Clegg is quite wrong in what he's saying here".
Mr Farage told BBC Radio 4's Today: "We don't believe [the EU] can be amended or changed. We want to get divorced from it so we can get back to running our own country."