Clegg issues Lib Dem rallying call

Mar 15 2013

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has called on his party to start winning after holding steady under fire for three years.

Recent success at the Eastleigh by-election, gains across councils and their record in Government show that only the Lib Dems can build a stronger country, he told the Scottish party's spring conference.

"I have spent nearly three years asking you to hold firm," he told an audience of more than 300 people in Dundee. "Three years urging you to remain steady under fire, and you have. But now, Scottish Liberal Democrats, I have a different message for you: win."

He conceded the party suffered a particular backlash in Scotland after entering coalition with the Conservatives at Westminster in 2010. One year on from that, Lib Dems at the Scottish Parliament were reduced from 16 MSPs to just five.

Mr Clegg, speaking the week after the UK party's conference in Brighton, accused the other major political parties of failing to take action to improve the economy and society. He singled out Home Secretary Theresa May for her suggestion that Britain could pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Mr Clegg also drew attention to the only Conservative MP north of the border, the Scotland Office minister David Mundell. "With only one MP in Scotland, who honestly thinks that the Conservatives on their own will stand up for you?" he said.

His comments were ridiculed by Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, who later said: "This attack from Nick Clegg is so desperate, it's embarrassing. Since he became Deputy Prime Minister, Scotland has chosen to vote out of office over half of all Lib Dem councillors and more than two-thirds of Lib Dem MSPs. The idea that he has anything to say that resonates with the people of Scotland is a joke.

"Today's speech is nothing more than a bit of pre-general election posturing by a man who knows he's leading his troops to a catastrophic defeat. The research shows the Conservatives are on course to do better in Scotland in 2015 while the Lib Dems are heading for huge losses."

As well as attacking his coalition partners, Mr Clegg criticised Labour and the SNP. He said: "You can't trust Labour with your money. That's why they have stagnated in Scotland and we saw the evidence in Eastleigh too."

The SNP has also failed to come up with a credible plan for the economy using extra cash from the UK Government, he said.