Back me or get Farage or Salmond as Deputy PM warns Clegg

The Lib Dem leader positioned himself as the more palatable alternative as Deputy Prime Minister to Nigel Farage or Alex Salmond as he launched his party’s manifesto today.

Mr Clegg said: “The Liberal Democrats will add a heart to a Conservative government and a brain to a Labour one.

“We won’t allow the Conservatives to cut too much and jeopardise our schools and hospitals and we won’t allow Labour to borrow too much and risk our economy again.”

He added: “The truth is a few hundred votes in a small number of seats could decide whether it is Liberal Democrat MPs, UKIP MPs or SNP MPs who the next Prime Minister will be forced to listen to.

“There is a very thin line between Britain being governed by a coalition with a conscience or a government with a grievance.”

The Liberal Democrats are fighting to hold on to their three Yorkshire seats including Mr Clegg’s Sheffield Hallam constituency where he is under pressure from a concerted effort by Labour’s Oliver Coppard.

In a nod to criticism of the Lib Dems 2010 manifesto and the commitments it could not deliver in coalition, in particular on tuition fees, Mr Clegg described their 2015 plan as “a programme for government, not opposition”.

“It is not a shopping list of pie in the sky ideas, but a set of proposals that builds on our record of action in government.”

Mr Clegg said: “I’m not denying that either David Cameron or Ed Miliband will be prime minister. One of them will. But you know and they know that neither of them will win outright. Neither of them will have a majority in Parliament.

“So what really matters is who they will have by their side.”

He added: “Someone is going to hold the balance of power on May 8 and it won’t be David Cameron or Ed Miliband. But it could be Nigel Farage. It could be Alex Salmond. Or it could be me and the Liberal Democrats.

“So ask yourself this: Do you want Nigel Farage walking through the door of No 10? Do you want Alex Salmond sat at the cabinet table? Or do you want the Liberal Democrats?”

The Lib Dems’ manifesto commitments including an explicit commitment to delivering the Transport for the North plan.

Drawn up by councils and Government officials, Transport for the North promises to create an integrated regional rail network, cut transpennine journey times and introduce smart-ticketing so public transport users can easily travel across the North.

The Lib Dem manifesto also commits to continuing with the HS2 high speed rail line between Yorkshire and London and supporting towns and cities that want tram systems.

In a further appeal to the North, the manifesto promises “devolution on demand” for areas that want to take more control over their own affairs.