Deputy PM Nick Clegg promises a new type of politics
NEW deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg last night implored his core supporters not to lose faith in his party after it made a pact to take David Cameron into Downing Street.
He said his party had “overwhelmingly” accepted his recommendation to form a coalition with the Tories. The parties have, he claimed, come together “for the sake of the country”.
He said the parties would form a “new kind of government” and heralded the start of a “diverse, plural” approach to politics.
He paid tribute to former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who he said was a “towering figure” with a “profound sense of public duty.”
Clegg also acknowleged the fears of many of his core supporters at his party’s deal with the Tories, admitting there would be “problems and glitches” along the way. But he vowed “I wouldn’t have entered this agreement if I wasn’t satisfied it offers the changes you and I believe in.” He added: “I hope you keep faith in us.”
Clegg became the most powerful Lib Dem since the party’s modernisation when he agreed to make the alliance with the Tories.
As deputy Prime Minister he will be awarded a cabinet position.
Lib Dem Danny Alexander, one of the negotiators who masterminded the coalition, will be rewarded with a lesser ranking cabinet position – that of Scottish secretary.
Vince Cable, the Lib Dem treasury spokesman has been confirmed as George Osborne’s number two at the Treasury.