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Clegg warns of ‘long hard road’
21 September 2011 Last updated at 11:02 ET
Nick Clegg said the party was ‘not doing the easy thing, but the right thing’
Britain faces a “long hard road” to economic recovery, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has warned.
But – in a speech to the Lib Dem conference – he insisted the government would not be blown off course by demands for a U-turn on spending cuts.
The spending squeeze was tough but right, he said, but ministers could still “do more” to boost growth.
The International Monetary Fund has cut its UK growth forecast and warned of a “dangerous new phase” globally.
‘Not enough’
The speech brought to a close the party’s five-day conference in Birmingham, which has seen ministers repeatedly stress that the coalition remains united on its deficit reduction plan.
Mr Clegg, watched from the conference floor by his wife Miriam and former Lib Dem leaders Lord Ashdown and Sir Menzies Campbell, adopted a sombre tone as he addressed hundreds of activists.
There were few jokes and crowd-pleasing policy announcements, which received a warm but not rapturous ovation from delegates.
Mr Clegg told them that the economy was the government’s biggest concern and more needed to be done to encourage growth.
“The recovery is fragile. Every worker, every family knows that. There is a long hard road ahead.”
He said deficit reduction had protected the economy and laid “the foundations for growth”, but added: “On its own it is not enough. That’s why we are already investing in infrastructure, reducing red tape, promoting skills, getting the banks lending.
“But the outlook for the global economy has got worse. So we need to do more, we can do more, and we will do more for growth and jobs.”
The Treasury has denied BBC reports that ministers are considering a £5bn rise in spending on infrastructure to kick-start the economy.
‘Painful cuts’
Aides stressed that Mr Clegg was not suggesting anything that would alter the government’s deficit reduction strategy but said he was pointing to the growth review report, due in November.
The deputy prime minister said the current global turbulence showed that the “painful” spending cuts strategy was “essential to protect the economy” and said while it would have been easier not to enter into the coalition – it “would not have been right”.
“ don’t play politics at a time of national crisis, don’t play politics with the economy, and never, ever, play politics with people’s jobs.”
The Lib Dem leader became more animated as he attacked Labour’s record on the economy, saying the previous government had left the UK “teetering on the edge of an economic precipice.”
And he rejected Labour’s argument that the government is going too far, too fast on spending cuts, arguing they were offering “too little, too late”.
In a jibe at Labour leader Ed Miliband and shadow Chancellor Ed Balls – both of whom worked for Gordon Brown when the party was in government – he said it was time for “real leadership. This is no time for the back room boys”.
But there was little criticism of the Conservatives – who have been the brunt of many jokes from other Lib Dem MPs during the conference.
‘Grace under fire’
However Mr Clegg said his party was “in nobody’s pocket” while arguing other parties had served “vested interests” – from unions to bankers, to long applause from the hall.
The party has faced an onslaught of voter anger over the past year, over its U-turn on tuition fees and support for spending cuts – and it saw a long-cherished dream of changing the UK voting system dashed, when the AV referendum resulted in a resounding “no” from the electorate.
Mr Clegg acknowledged that the party had been “vilified” by both the left and the right and paid tribute to members’ “resilience” and “grace under fire”.
The party’s “character” had been tested, he said, but it had “come out fighting” on the NHS, on protecting human rights and “fighting for every family”.
He said the decision to support the rise in university tuition fees was “the most heart wrenching for me”.
But he said Lib Dem ministers were making a difference, on banking reform, green jobs and easing the tax burden on the lower paid.
The party had been right to challenge NHS changes, he said, adding, to much applause from party members, that the Human Rights Act “is here to stay” – the Conservatives had pledged to axe when they were in opposition.
He told party members that being in government was not just about “stopping bad things but doing good things”.
“We must move now beyond the reflexes of opposition to the responsibilities of government, and the opportunities of government too.”
He said he was determined that every child get a fair start and those who did not enjoy the privileges he had done would get equal opportunities – despite “fierce resistance from those who do so well out of the status quo”.
And he said that too many of those who took part in the riots in England had seemed to have nothing to lose having “simply fallen through the cracks”.
He announced a £50m summer school scheme, to help children who need it catch up in the maths and English before going to secondary school.
He urged party members to “hold r heads up and look our critics squarely in the eye”.
“Britain will be a fairer nation tomorrow because we are in government today. Never apologise for the difficult things we are having to do. We are serving a great country at a time of great need.”
— ’re ’s , . : A ‘Malign Intellectual Subculture’ – George Monbiot Smears Chomsky, Herman, Peterson, Pilger And Media Lens.
