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| Lib Dem conference: Nick Clegg to urge pride in economy | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg is to highlight the party's "proud story" on jobs and the economy while in the coalition government. | |
| Addressing delegates at a rally at the start of the party's annual conference in Glasgow, Mr Clegg will emphasise its role in the economic recovery. | Addressing delegates at a rally at the start of the party's annual conference in Glasgow, Mr Clegg will emphasise its role in the economic recovery. |
| The "party of jobs" will campaign for a million new ones, the deputy prime minister will say. | The "party of jobs" will campaign for a million new ones, the deputy prime minister will say. |
| The Lib Dems want more voters to know about what it sees as its achievements. | The Lib Dems want more voters to know about what it sees as its achievements. |
| But the conference in Glasgow got under way with an attack on the Lib Dems' coalition partners' economic policy and a warning of a new housing bubble. | |
| Lib Dem President Tim Farron, a leading voice on the left of the party who has been tipped as a future leader, vowed to resist Conservative vested interests which refuse to accept that the economy will not grow until a fairer society is established. | |
| 'Right decisions' | |
| He said: "Lib Dems called it right in May 2010 - we see the evidence slowly emerging of a stronger economy, with higher growth and lower unemployment. | |
| "But only the complacent would think that we're out of the woods. And there's some who seem content to steer us straight back into those woods. We still face the danger of a re-inflating housing market, unsustainable growth fed by cheap credit and real growth thwarted for want of skills." | |
| The conference runs until Wednesday and Mr Clegg will make his keynote speech on the final day. | |
| He is expected to urge party activists nervous about poor opinion poll ratings to take pride in the role they have played in turning the economy round. | |
| In a speech at a conference-opening rally on Saturday evening, he will say they "can tell people how we took the right decisions in government to make sure interest rates were kept down and to protect people from the economic crises we have seen elsewhere in Europe". | |
| As well as the party's campaign to create a million new jobs, there is also expected to be an emphasis on the importance of apprenticeships during the conference. | As well as the party's campaign to create a million new jobs, there is also expected to be an emphasis on the importance of apprenticeships during the conference. |
| Meanwhile, speaking ahead of the conference, Business Secretary Vince Cable said he would press for a rise in the national minimum wage to help the lower-paid. | Meanwhile, speaking ahead of the conference, Business Secretary Vince Cable said he would press for a rise in the national minimum wage to help the lower-paid. |
| Wages 'suppressed' | |
| In a Guardian interview, he said many workers had seen a loss in real terms of between 10% and 12% since 2008. | In a Guardian interview, he said many workers had seen a loss in real terms of between 10% and 12% since 2008. |
| The minimum hourly rate will rise to £6.31 for staff aged 21 and over after 1 October. | The minimum hourly rate will rise to £6.31 for staff aged 21 and over after 1 October. |
| Mr Cable told the Guardian he would ask the Low Pay Commission to restore the minimum wage value to keep up with the cost of living and suggested national insurance contributions paid by companies could be reduced to ensure employers were not at a disadvantage. | Mr Cable told the Guardian he would ask the Low Pay Commission to restore the minimum wage value to keep up with the cost of living and suggested national insurance contributions paid by companies could be reduced to ensure employers were not at a disadvantage. |
| He said the UK could not "go on forever in a low-pay and low-productivity world in which all we can say to workers is 'you have got to take a wage cut to keep your job'." | He said the UK could not "go on forever in a low-pay and low-productivity world in which all we can say to workers is 'you have got to take a wage cut to keep your job'." |
| Mr Cable said: "We have got to enter into a different kind of workplace. For a very long time, five or six years, wages have been suppressed in low wage sectors. I am sending a signal that we are entering a very different environment." | Mr Cable said: "We have got to enter into a different kind of workplace. For a very long time, five or six years, wages have been suppressed in low wage sectors. I am sending a signal that we are entering a very different environment." |
| He also said he was "determined to do something" to end the "abuse" of zero-hour contracts, which allow employers to hire staff with no guarantee of work. | He also said he was "determined to do something" to end the "abuse" of zero-hour contracts, which allow employers to hire staff with no guarantee of work. |
| His comments came as another senior Lib Dem minister suggested easing pay restraints in the private sector to mirror the improved economy. | His comments came as another senior Lib Dem minister suggested easing pay restraints in the private sector to mirror the improved economy. |
| Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander told the Daily Telegraph: "It's not for me as a treasury minister to start telling employers what their pay policies should be, that's a matter for firms. | Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander told the Daily Telegraph: "It's not for me as a treasury minister to start telling employers what their pay policies should be, that's a matter for firms. |
| "But of course, as growth returns to our economy and we see businesses being successful, the workforce will want to and should share in that success." | "But of course, as growth returns to our economy and we see businesses being successful, the workforce will want to and should share in that success." |
| Mr Alexander made it clear that public sector staff would face several more years of frozen wages. | Mr Alexander made it clear that public sector staff would face several more years of frozen wages. |
| Internal party poll | Internal party poll |
| In another interview timed with the conference, Home Office minister Jeremy Browne welcomed Britain's borders opening to workers from EU countries like Poland, saying it boosted the economy and transformed foreign relations. | In another interview timed with the conference, Home Office minister Jeremy Browne welcomed Britain's borders opening to workers from EU countries like Poland, saying it boosted the economy and transformed foreign relations. |
| In an interview with the New Statesman magazine, he said he was relaxed about any new influx when restrictions were lifted in January on workers from Bulgaria and Romania. | In an interview with the New Statesman magazine, he said he was relaxed about any new influx when restrictions were lifted in January on workers from Bulgaria and Romania. |
| Mr Browne said: "They're only complying with the same rules as British people who live in Spain or have holiday houses in France, or who work in Germany." | Mr Browne said: "They're only complying with the same rules as British people who live in Spain or have holiday houses in France, or who work in Germany." |
| As the conference opens, an unpublished internal party poll has suggested that three quarters of voters will not support the Liberal Democrat party whatever it does. | As the conference opens, an unpublished internal party poll has suggested that three quarters of voters will not support the Liberal Democrat party whatever it does. |
| A senior Lib Dem source said the party believed Mr Clegg personally enjoyed strong support among the remaining quarter of voters. | A senior Lib Dem source said the party believed Mr Clegg personally enjoyed strong support among the remaining quarter of voters. |
| The party would have a "clear focus" on that 25%, the source said, although in the long term it would like to grow its "market". | The party would have a "clear focus" on that 25%, the source said, although in the long term it would like to grow its "market". |
| Insiders also argue that winning target seats is what matters. | Insiders also argue that winning target seats is what matters. |
| The admission that they do not expect to command majority support follows recent comments by Mr Clegg on LBC Radio. | The admission that they do not expect to command majority support follows recent comments by Mr Clegg on LBC Radio. |
| The deputy prime minister acknowledged it was "unlikely" his party would win a majority at the next general election. | The deputy prime minister acknowledged it was "unlikely" his party would win a majority at the next general election. |
| The Lib Dems won 23.6% of the vote at the 2010 general election. | The Lib Dems won 23.6% of the vote at the 2010 general election. |
| The party's standing in the polls topped 30% during the brief surge of "Cleggmania" after the first prime ministerial debate. | The party's standing in the polls topped 30% during the brief surge of "Cleggmania" after the first prime ministerial debate. |
| By way of historical comparison, the high point for the SDP-Liberal Alliance was a monthly poll average of 33% in September 1985. | By way of historical comparison, the high point for the SDP-Liberal Alliance was a monthly poll average of 33% in September 1985. |
| The Lib Dem leadership expects some dissent from activists - as is typical at conference - but believes it will win a key vote on economic policy on Monday. | The Lib Dem leadership expects some dissent from activists - as is typical at conference - but believes it will win a key vote on economic policy on Monday. |
| The party was not afraid to have disagreements in open at conference, said the source, and it was united and resilient overall. | The party was not afraid to have disagreements in open at conference, said the source, and it was united and resilient overall. |