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Nick Clegg insists that he didn't destroy the Liberal Democrats | Nick Clegg insists that he didn't destroy the Liberal Democrats |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Nick Clegg has denied ‘destroying’ the Liberal Democrats in his first interview after the party’s wipe-out result at the general election. | Nick Clegg has denied ‘destroying’ the Liberal Democrats in his first interview after the party’s wipe-out result at the general election. |
The former deputy prime minister said he had no regrets about his time in government despite admitting that he’d left his party at “a real low”. | The former deputy prime minister said he had no regrets about his time in government despite admitting that he’d left his party at “a real low”. |
“No, I haven’t destroyed the party. Liberalism will survive, the Liberal Democrats will bounce back,” he told LBC Radio. | “No, I haven’t destroyed the party. Liberalism will survive, the Liberal Democrats will bounce back,” he told LBC Radio. |
“I don’t regret at all, not for one millisecond, doing the right thing for the country.” | “I don’t regret at all, not for one millisecond, doing the right thing for the country.” |
The Liberal Democrats’ poll ratings plunged dramatically after Mr Clegg’s 2010 decision to reverse the party’s position on tuition fees shortly after an election. | The Liberal Democrats’ poll ratings plunged dramatically after Mr Clegg’s 2010 decision to reverse the party’s position on tuition fees shortly after an election. |
The party has stood in 2010 on a platform of scrapping tuition fees, and each individual Lib Dem MP had pledged to vote against any increase in them. | The party has stood in 2010 on a platform of scrapping tuition fees, and each individual Lib Dem MP had pledged to vote against any increase in them. |
Despite negotiating an abstention on the issue in the 2010 coalition agreement, most Lib Dem MPs ultimately voted to treble the controversial education charges, however. | Despite negotiating an abstention on the issue in the 2010 coalition agreement, most Lib Dem MPs ultimately voted to treble the controversial education charges, however. |
Mr Clegg left the party with eight MPs, down 49 from the 57 it won at the 2010 general election. He stepped down as leader on the day after the election. | |
The former DPM said he did not think an early departure as leader would have made a difference to the result. | The former DPM said he did not think an early departure as leader would have made a difference to the result. |
“I obviously would have done if I’d felt at the time that it would have helped the party,” he said. “My own view is that changing leader a year before the election wouldn’t have made much difference.” | “I obviously would have done if I’d felt at the time that it would have helped the party,” he said. “My own view is that changing leader a year before the election wouldn’t have made much difference.” |
He also declined to endorse a successor, saying of the two candidates for Lib Dem leadership: “I think they’d both be brilliant leaders … I’d be very happy to serve under both.” | He also declined to endorse a successor, saying of the two candidates for Lib Dem leadership: “I think they’d both be brilliant leaders … I’d be very happy to serve under both.” |
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