Clegg comes out against libel laws

By Ian Dunt Nick Clegg has taken a stand against Britain’s much-criticised libel laws. The Lib Dem leader used a speech at the 350th birthday celebration of the Royal Society this lunchtime to say the law was having a “stifling effect” on scientific debate. “The freedom to evaluate critically the work of others is the […]

Poll puts Labour in third place

By politics.co.uk staff An Ipsos Mori poll has put Labour in third place for the first time since February 1982. The poll, which was conducted last week during the Liberal Democrat conference, suggests that both the Tories and Labour have lost points to the party. According to the poll results, which are based on those […]

Clegg speech: Reactions

All the reactions to Clegg’s leader’s speech from all the players in the Lib Dems, exclusively to politics.co.uk. Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman: “It has set us up for a very good general election campaign. I think the government is hopeless – they’ve given up. The Conservatives are mistrusted by vast numbers of people. […]

Nick Clegg speech in full

Read the text of Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg’s speech to his party’s autumn conference in Bournemouth in full here. In the last eight weeks, 28 British soldiers and Royal Marines have been killed in Afghanistan. However easy it may be to forget, we are a nation at war. Already more than 75,000 British men […]

Clarke savages Brown… again

By politics.co.uk staff Former home secretary Charles Clarke has instigated another vicious attack on Gordon Brown just as the prime minister prepares to address the United Nations. Mr Clarke used an interview with the Evening Standard to lambast Mr Brown’s leadership and suggest he could use the excuse of ill health to stand down. “I […]

Clegg dreams of Downing Street

By Alex Stevenson Nick Clegg revealed his ambition to be prime minister in a forceful and passionate leader’s speech to the Liberal Democrat conference this afternoon. In a speech aides described as the start of the party’s general election campaign, Mr Clegg appealed directly to voters who had never backed Britain’s third party before. He […]

Lib Dem audio: Tuition fee tensions

Delegates at the Liberal Democrat autumn conference in Bournemouth give their views on the party’s tuition fees policy. After years of opposition to tuition fees for higher education students, the party leader has now said the austere spending environment may mean its abolition could have to be delayed. Not all are happy with his stance:

Lib Dem audio: Hung parliament speculation

Listen to delegates at the Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth give their views on what the party should do if the general election results in a hung parliament:

Video: Sarah Teather speech

Watch Sarah Teather’s speech to the Liberal Democrat party conference in Bournemouth.

Video: Vince Cable speech

Watch Vince Cable’s speech to the Liberal Democrat party conference in Bournemouth.