Nick Clegg puts faith in his MPs' local popularity
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg believes his MPs will be able to successfully defend their Westcountry seats on their record – despite almost unprecedented pressure from the Conservatives at the next election.
In an exclusive interview with the Western Morning News the Deputy Prime Minister said: "I think what people in Cornwall want is, first and foremost, MPs with a track record of standing up for their communities.
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Nick Clegg
"We are second to none on that. I don't think the Conservatives will ever be able to match that commitment to local communities."
Last week, the WMN revealed a quarter of the Tories' 40 targets seats for the 2015 election are in the South West – all of those Lib Dem held. If successful, the plan would mean wipeout in Devon and Cornwall.
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But Mr Clegg is defiant – saying it is the Lib Dems who have ensured "fairness" in the cuts and that the Tories have stopped them doing more.
"It's no surprise people want to target the seats of their rivals. And we will do the same. Our record speaks for itself. We have three of the six Cornish constituencies. We have a long history of serving Cornwall and we've got three absolutely outstanding MPs. We will see today they are very popular and totally rooted in their community. Andrew George (St Ives) – a long-standing Cornish politician and known as a strong independent thinker. In Dan (Rogerson, North Cornwall) and Steve (Gilbert, St Austell and Newquay) you've got two fantastic constituency MPs who are very well respected in Westminster too.
"People in Cornwall want politicians who get the balance right – sorting out the economic mess but doing that as fairly as possible. Frankly, if it wasn't for the Liberal Democrats in Government we wouldn't be doing a lot of the fair things that are benefiting people in Cornwall. We wouldn't be taking low paid people out of paying income tax. We wouldn't be providing the pupil premium. We are the ones in government delivering the huge number of apprenticeships.
"We would like to have gone further. We believe there is a case for a mansion tax – millionaires in Kensington chipping in a bit extra to help people in Cornwall. The Conservatives blocked that. If we were alone in government we would have got tougher on the banks sooner. We are the only party that strikes the balance between tackling the economy and a fairer society."
It also emerged Labour will not target any seats in Cornwall at the next election, despite claiming there are no "no-go areas" for the party anymore. The Camborne, Pool and Redruth seat is a three-way marginal.
Mr Clegg said: "Labour has taken a strategic decision to turn their backs on Cornwall. If you're someone who doesn't feel favourably disposed towards the Conservatives, in effect what Labour is saying is there is only one choice, which is the Liberal Democrats. For those people who are never going to vote Conservative, who is going to stand up for you or your values in Cornwall? It shows how important it is to have a strong Liberal Democrat voice in your area."
Comments
by JeremyBadger
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 5:01PM
“Paddy,I am sorry I missed off 6 zeros from my original comment, of course it should have read £50,000,000, yes that is right £50 MILLION A DAY!
eu_blues, Its attitudes like yours that keeps us in this farce called the EU!”
by JeremyBadger
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 5:00PM
“Paddy,I am sorry I missed off 6 zeros from my original comment, of course it should have read £50,000,000, yes that is right £50 MILLION A DAY!
eu_blues, Its attitudes like yours that keeps us in this farce called the EU!”
by JeremyBadger
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 4:57PM
“Paddy,
I am sorry I missed off 6 zeros from my original comment, of course it should have read £50,000,000, yes that is right £50 MILLION A DAY!”
by SidneyNuff
Monday, January 14 2013, 10:23PM
“Don't forget the chosen colour of the Lib Dems is yellow, says it all really.”
by kernewekonan
Monday, January 14 2013, 9:22PM
“dream on cleggy, my family & i have been let down by the lib-dems going to bed with the conmen tories sidling up just for power which you have certainly done. we will never trust you ever again. the tories at least have never changed their onesided beliefs which cannot be said of you. yes mr cameron is all we hear from you and so you can be rest assured that the lib-dems will never con us again you will not be getting our votes. even if it means voting for the horrible tories whom i hate.Turncoat seems to round off this quite well.”
by Lafrowda
Monday, January 14 2013, 6:05PM
“Plenty of opposition to criticism of the Lib. Dems. but not a word of support for their record.
Indefensible ?”
by SidneyNuff
Monday, January 14 2013, 3:52PM
“Does anyone remember Nick's last words before the last election. 'Trust us we are not like other parties, vote for us we are different'. A week later he had torn up his written pledges.”
by josdave
Monday, January 14 2013, 3:17PM
“Try £50million a day and that will be nearer. What a price to pay for giving away UK sovereignty to Brussells. The Lib Dem turncoats would have us in deeper in fact they wanted us to join that disaster that they call the eurozone.”
by nickthompson
Monday, January 14 2013, 3:07PM
“"Plenty of red ink here, I guess there is not a lot going on today in the telephone box,sorry I meant to say at the Limp/Dem office."”
by Lafrowda
Monday, January 14 2013, 2:56PM
“The Organised pro Lib Dem Red Arrow Obsfurcation is at work again I see.”