'No time to waste' over cuts, says Clegg as he braces his party for rough ride

In an interview with the Yorkshire Post marking the start of the Liberal Democrat conference, Mr Clegg warned those who are criticising the speed of coalition cuts that "there's no time to waste".

He admitted the Government will "court unpopularity", but declared: "I'd rather be remembered as someone who took long-term decisions for the long-term benefit of the country when in Government than to have ducked and weaved day in day out just to try and anticipate the next day's headlines."

Even though it may be about to make him incredibly unpopular, he insisted being Deputy Prime Minister has not changed him.

He still changes nappies, still takes the children to school – thanks to David Cameron agreeing to put back the start of cabinet meetings – and still has his feet "firmly on the ground".

The secret? "I just follow my mum's advice – just do your best. That's all you can do."

But even his mother's advice is unlikely to help much as he prepares for the Government to "court unpopularity" in making billions of pounds of spending cuts. Although he insisted June's emergency Budget has taken the country "out of the danger zone" into a "safer zone", he is also realistic enough to know there are plenty who remain less than convinced the coalition is taking the right approach in aggressively cutting the deficit.

"I hope people will – yes – no doubt be frustrated, even angry, about some of the controversy but also pleasantly surprised about the things we continue to do," he said, pointing to safeguarding of the NHS budget, an increase in the income tax threshold and the introduction of a pupil premium later this year to help poorer youngsters.

"Yes it will be controversial, but I think when people see it in the round they will see that what we're trying to do is wipe the slate clean, so we don't simply hand our debts to the next generation and we can do some good things at the same time to make it as fair as possible."

But he is raring to go. "One of the things I've learned from Labour's record in 13 years is how much they utterly wasted and squandered one of the best opportunities since the war to use all the money they had and all the goodwill they had when they were elected in 1997 to good ends, and instead they basically did nothing.

"Some people, I understand, think we're moving too fast, but we're not wasting any time because we think there's no time to waste to sort things out." Being Deputy Prime Minister brings its perks, such as the use of the 115-room Kent mansion Chevening, but the Sheffield Hallam MP has not been upgraded from his House of Commons office – although he also has a Cabinet Office connected to Downing Street now – and a small plate of slightly soft biscuits are as far as the hospitality goes.

Rather than bringing the conference to a close on Wednesday, he will speak on Monday this year before heading off to New York for the Government.

It should be a starkly different occasion from last year when he tore into his now-coalition partners and David Cameron – with whom he would later stroll around the Downing Street Rose Garden in the May sunshine after agreeing their coalition – claiming "there's less to him than meets the eye".

Mr Clegg explicitly ruled out any pact at the next election between the two parties, but said there is a "fantastic sense of symmetry within Government" and maintained the Lib Dems have had "much more" influence in Westminster than people expected. Mr Clegg, who will tonight address a rally launching the "yes" campaign for the voting reform referendum, said: "Are we doing it for the right reasons, are we doing it with the best motives in mind and are we doing it for the long-term benefit of the country? Yes, I'm absolutely convinced we're doing the only thing we can do to try and sort stuff out."

He noted the irony in pre-election warnings about the dangers of hung parliaments and coalitions from many of the same people who now accuse the Government of moving too fast. "I hope we, as a coalition Government, will show we are capable of taking difficult controversial decision, yes, courting unpopularity as we take those decisions, but doing it in a way that will actually benefit the country," he said.

With the trade unions threatening strikes and some activists talking of co-ordinated action, Mr Clegg insisted he does not want conflict, and said "our door is open".

He also claimed he "regrets" the axing of the 80m Sheffield Forgemasters loan, but repeated his assertion that it is Labour's fault because it was simply unaffordable. And he knows that even among the comfort of his own party over the next few days, he will not be able to escape the thorny issue of cuts.

"Of course I want to acknowledge the great controversy around reducing the deficit, I also want to be reminding people there are other things which will stand the test of time which are really, really important and which I believe make Britain a better and more Liberal place," he

said of his challenge for the

next few days.

He dismissed "vitriolic" suggestions from Labour – his anger at them for "denying responsibility" for the state of the economy is a constant theme – that "I do this out of relish or choice".

"What we need to do over and over and over again is explain to people this is unavoidable. You can't duck it. There's no get out of jail card for free option. We've got four years to do this."

NICK CLEGG ON:

Being unpopular:

"I'd rather be remembered as

someone who took long-term decisions

for the long-term benefit of the country when in Government than to have

ducked and weaved day in day out just to try and anticipate the next day's headlines."

Getting public support for cuts:

"What we need to do over and over and over again is explain to people

this is unavoidable. You can't duck it. There's no get out of jail card for free option."

Party conference:

"Of course I want to acknowledge the great controversy around reducing

the deficit, I also want to be reminding people there are other things which will stand the test of time which are really really important and which I believe make Britain a better and more Liberal place."

How being Deputy Prime Minister has changed him:

"Not much. I still change nappies, still take the kids to school, still have my feet firmly on the ground."

On taking tough decisions:

"I just follow my mum's advice – just do your best. That's all you can do."

Labour:

"I'm very frustrated Labour, having

created this monumental mess, are now denying any responsibility for it."

The unions:

"We want to work together with the trade unions, we don't want to work against them."

The Lib Dems and Tories forming a pact at the next election:

"It's not the way I see the future."

Axing the Sheffield Forgemasters loan:

"Labour seem to think I do this out of relish or choice. It was they who forced on us in Sheffield the decision to have to withdraw that loan for now."

CONFERENCE CLASH POINTS

Health: Andrew Lansley's radical plans to abolish Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities could become a real source of coalition tension. Liberal Democrat critics question the wisdom and cost of such an overhaul in difficult times.

Welfare: Cuts to housing benefit announced in the Budget are one of the main concerns for Lib Dem backbenchers. Senior party figures have been trying to negotiate changes, but Nick Clegg has warned benefits will be cut.

Housing: David Cameron's pledge to review "council house for life" principles has caused unease, and assurances will be needed that the policy is fair.

Trident: Although Liberal Democrats will be able to abstain in any votes, members will be keen to delay any renewal - infuriating the Tory Right.