Clegg attacks 'establishment' Labour and Tories

Sunday, 9 March 2008 12:00 AM

Nick Clegg accused Labour and the Conservatives of maintaining Britain's current political system for their own "vested interests" in his first conference speech as leader today.

The Liberal Democrat leader told delegates at his party's spring conference in Liverpool the UK's "establishment parties" were manipulating the system "to get the power they want".

He accused Gordon Brown's government of being "gutless, heartless [and] incompetent", arguing there was little difference between "David Brown" and "Gordon Cameron".

The Conservatives also came in for sustained attack, accused of being solely motivated by power and condemned as "a party bereft of belief" engaging in "sham politics".

Despite the Lib Dems trailing in opinion polls on 2005 levels, Mr Clegg denied the long-term trend was against his party.

He pointed out the percentage rejecting the two main parties had increased from two per cent in 1951 to 32 per cent at the last election.

Despite this trend he claimed Labour and the Conservatives would "never change" the current system.

"They like having power and privilege sewn up between a few chums in the Westminster bubble," Mr Clegg told the conference floor.

"There are vested interests at play - in the establishment parties, in the big central bureaucracies that run things in Britain today.

"Someone's got to take on the vested interests. Someone's got to challenge the established order of things. And it's got to be us.

"It's time for a party that isn't cowed by the system, or afraid to challenge it. The chance is there. so let's seize it," he concluded.

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