'Big, open and comprehensive': Tories' offer to Lib Dems

Britain voted for change yesterday, but it also voted for a new politics, it did not vote for party political bickering, grandstanding and point-scoring. Our country's problems are too serious, they are too urgent for that. So we must all rise to this occasion, we must show leadership.

We must sort things out as quickly as possible for the good of the country.

Nick Clegg has said that because the Conservative Party won the most votes and the most seats in this election we should have the chance to form a government and I thank him for that.

So I want to make a big, open and comprehensive offer to the Liberal Democrats.

I want us to work together in tackling our country's big and urgent problems, the debt crisis, our deep social problems, and our broken political system... across our two manifestos, there are many areas of common ground... so I think we have a strong basis for a strong government. Inevitably the negotiations we are about to start will involve compromise – that is what working together in the national interest means.

The national interest is clear – the world is looking to Britain for decisive action.

The outgoing government has left this country with terrible problems, an economic and financial crisis, deep social problems, a political system in which people, too many people, have lost faith.

The new government will face the worst inheritance of any incoming government for at least 60 years. That is exactly why it's so important we have strong, stable government that lasts – a strong stable government that has the support of the public to take

the difficult decisions that are needed if we're going to put

this country back on the right track for a stronger future.

So I hope we can reach agreement quickly on the big, open and comprehensive offer that I've outlined today... this is a great country but we could be doing so much better.