Nick Clegg handbagged as Gillian Duffy makes a return to politics

Nick Clegg was confronted today by the woman famously branded a "bigot" by Gordon Brown.

Already facing a growing grass-roots revolt by Liberal Democrats, Mr Clegg came face-to-face with Mrs Duffy, who confronted him on why he had gone into coalition with the Tories at the last election.

As he was explaining how the Lib-Dems could not have formed a majority government with Labour, Mrs Duffy asked: "Can you honestly tell me now, look me in the eye, that you are happy about all those policies that have gone wrong for you and your party?"

Mr Clegg began a well-rehearsed argument that the Government was taking tough decisions to fix the economy, prompting Mrs Duffy to say: "I have just been listening to you on the television and I have listened to you on the radio and that is just the same speech you gave an hour ago."

She went on to say that many Lib-Dem policies had previously been similar to Labour, adding: "Now, I'm sorry Nick." Mr Clegg calmly replied "You may disagree. We will see," before continuing with his visit.

The Deputy Prime Minister was also dragged into a war of words over the airwaves with Warren Bradley, the Lib-Dem leader on Liverpool city council, who had earlier warned in a leaked letter that the coalition was threatening to make their party "disappear into the annals of history".

The Lib-Dem leader sought to dismiss Mr Bradley, who called for the party to "sever ties" with the Tories, as "one voice" who was wrong.

But a second Lib-Dem council leader joined the attack on Mr Clegg while praising party president Tim Farron for standing up for Lib-Dem values. "I would like to see more Tims and less Nicks," Stuart Langhorn, leader of Lancaster city council, told Evening Standard.

Mrs Duffy, a lifelong Labour supporter, confronted Mr Brown just days before the general election last May.

He heard out her complaints before returning to his car and was heard branding her a "bigoted woman" after failing to switch off his microphone. He then made a humiliating visit to her home to apologise.