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Clegg urges new political system | Clegg urges new political system |
(30 minutes later) | |
Nick Clegg has said he will not join a Labour or Tory Cabinet - but will push for a "new type of government" instead. | |
Lib Dem leaders have traditionally made proportional representation the price of a deal with other parties in the event of a hung parliament. | Lib Dem leaders have traditionally made proportional representation the price of a deal with other parties in the event of a hung parliament. |
But in his first UK conference speech as leader Nick Clegg demanded a shake-up of the whole political system. He called for a Constitutional Convention to redraw the rules by which Britain is governed. | |
In his speech to the party's spring conference in Liverpool, Mr Clegg also attempted to move on from a damaging row over the EU treaty. | |
He did not mention the treaty once in his speech, focusing instead on portraying the party as an "anti-establishment" force that can smash the two party system. | |
'Big money politics' | |
He also called for a new crackdown on sleaze - with by-elections for MPs who break the rules. | |
And he called for an "end to big money politics" - proposing a £25,000 limit on political donations. | |
He addressed the question of alliances with other parties head-on, saying he would never join a Conservative or a Labour government. | |
"I will never allow the Liberal Democrats to be a mere annexe to another party. | |
"But am I interested in building a new type of government? Yes | |
"Based on pluralism instead of one party rule? Yes | |
"A new system, that empowers people not parties? Yes. "We want a new, more liberal Britain." | "A new system, that empowers people not parties? Yes. "We want a new, more liberal Britain." |
He repeated the party's demand for electoral reform but said it "wasn't enough". | |
He said he wanted to "redesign" Britain's political sysytem for the 21st Century. | |
An aide refused to be drawn on the precise details of the new "pluralistic" government said the party was not interested in having a "few Cabinet ministers sitting in a Tory or Labour government". | |
He wanted a wholesale review of the entire constitution. |