Now Clegg targets Labour's 'betrayed' heartland

The scenes in Yorkshire yesterday confirmed a marked change in the fortunes of Nick Clegg, who for the first nine days of the election campaign was working desperately hard just to be noticed as his party fought to avoid yet again being a footnote in the race for power.

The big change of course came on April 15, the first ever televised leaders' debate, when the Lib Dem leader was not just noticed but ignited "Cleggmania", sparking a dramatic swing in the polls.

Those who have travelled with him for the entire campaign said during the first week they would walk completely unnoticed down busy high streets and through packed train stations.

But yesterday at a rally in the Colne Valley he was at the centre of a media scrum. Only weeks ago senior Lib Dem visits were being attended by a handful of journalists, now it is understood reporters are paying hundreds of pounds for a seat on one of Mr Clegg's battlebuses.

The big question is whether the surge of enthusiasm can be sustained and turned into votes.

The Tories have fought back and now have a lead in some polls but the Lib Dems believe seats like Colne Valley, where they came third in 2005, are suddenly within their grasp.

One of Mr Clegg's aides said: "This just wasn't on the radar before the debates, but he wouldn't be here if we didn't think we were going to win now."

The party will not only have to overcome Labour's notional 5,492 lead, but also leapfrog the Tories, who currently sit in second place and have also targeted the constituency.

Mr Clegg has already said he believes the General Election is a two-horse race and yesterday in Marsden he told a 300-strong crowd of placard-waving supporters they had been "betrayed by Labour".

"People here have been voting Labour for generations, it is part of their identity, it was what their grandfathers and grandmothers did. They feel they would be betraying their Labour routes.

"You are not betraying Labour, Labour has betrayed you."

Mr Clegg went on to attack the Government's "grotesquely unfair tax system" and poured scorn on Tory tax proposals he claimed would only benefit the very few richest estates in the country.

Later he spoke to the Yorkshire Post and attempted to set the record straight on his immigration policy – the target of sustained attacks by David Cameron during the final debate on Thursday.

Mr Cameron claimed 600,000 illegal immigrants could be given the right to remain and bring a family member to Britain under the Lib Dem proposals.

Mr Clegg said he was "incredibly angry" the plans were being labelled an "amnesty".

"Labour created this problem and yet Gordon Brown and David Cameron are perfectly happy to turn a deaf ear to criminal gangs running amok in our community. "I'm the only leader who actually wants to do something about it."

Under the Lib Dem proposals illegal immigrants who can prove they have been in Britain for 10 years and can speak English will have the right to earn citizenship after a period of community service.

Mr Clegg then went on to visit staff and shoppers at the Asda supermarket in Harrogate, where the party are looking to strengthen their notional majority of 7,980.

He addressed a crowd of 200 supporters in the car park and was shown around by candidate Claire Kelley, who said the argument to change the electoral system is now being made by the voters.

"The argument has been made, people have seen the polls, they have seen the voting predictions. Any Government now that says no to changing that will have no credibility."

Mr Clegg's final stop of the tour was a town hall meeting last night in Redcar.

SUPPORT 'THIN' FOR AMNESTY PLAN

Liberal Democrat supporters are opposed to their leader's plan to allow long-standing illegal immigrants to earn citizenship, a new poll has suggested.

A survey commissioned by think-tank Migrationwatch

UK found 57 per cent of people intending to vote Lib Dem were opposed to the policy, which has been called an "amnesty" by political rivals.

Nick Clegg told supporters in Yorkshire yesterday he was the only party leader with the "courage" to confront a chaotic immigration system.

He proposes that illegal immigrants who can prove they have been in Britain for 10 years and can speak English will have the right to earn citizenship after a period of community service.

The YouGov poll of more than 2,000 adults found that 54 per cent were opposed to the plan.