News | Politics

Nick Clegg: Labour has changed and could be Lib Dem coalition partners

 
Nick Clegg’s party sought to play down fears
Staff|Agency
20 February 2014

The chances of the Liberal Democrats forming a coalition with Labour after next year's election were today given a boost as Nick Clegg told how Ed Miliband's party has "changed".

The Deputy Prime Minister said Labour has come to terms with the prospect of having to share power, and criticised current coalition partners the Conservatives for lurching to the right.

Speaking on a BBC Radio 4 documentary due to air tonight, he said: "I think they've changed. I think there's nothing like the prospect of reality in an election to get politicians to think again and the Labour Party, which is a party unused to sharing power with others is realising that it might have to."

The comments follow an apparent thaw in relations with shadow chancellor Ed Balls. The animosity between the men had previously been regarded as a major obstacle to the two parties joining up if there is a hung parliament after next May's general election.

He said that if such a pact was formed between the two parties, the Lib Dems would set out to restrain Labour from spending too much.

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"There is just no doubt in my mind that if there were a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition, we the Liberal Democrats would absolutely insist that government would not break the bank," he added.

Amid signs of growing tensions with David Cameron's party after nearly four years of government, Mr Clegg said: "I think the Conservative Party has changed quite dramatically since we entered into coalition with them.

"They've become much more ideological, they've returned much more to a lot of their familiar theme tunes...

"I think it would be best for everybody if the Conservative Party were to rediscover a talent for actually talking to mainstream voters about mainstream concerns."