Defeats but we are ‘on a journey’ insists Clegg

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg insisted that the Liberal Democrats have the answers to the country’s problems despite the party losing more than 100 councillors.

The Liberal Democrats joined their coalition partners as the major losers in the local elections and also slumped to seventh in the South Shields parliamentary by-election.

Mr Clegg said: “I have always said it is understandable why it is that people might be attracted to the simple answers that the UK Independence Party is offering to deal with this country’s complex problems.

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“But I do not think they do have the answers to the dilemmas we face as a country.

“I believe that the Liberal Democrats do. I believe that our message that we need to build a stronger economy and do so as fairly as possible, enabling everyone to get on in life, is the right message for the future.”

The Sheffield Hallam MP said the Liberal Democrats were “on a journey from a party of protest to a party of Government”.

He added: “By-elections always are as uneven as this. Just a few weeks ago we won a spectacular by-election in Eastleigh.

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“There were some local by-elections last night, not least in my constituency, where we got a swing from Labour to the Liberal Democrats.

“But clearly we were nowhere near a position in South Shields to compete seriously in that contest. We have done well in some areas and not so well in others.”

In North Yorkshire, the Liberal Democrats gained three seats but lost two including group leader Geoff Webber who was ousted by Ukip.

Mr Webber said he was “sorry to be going” but would not be standing again.

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“It is a protest vote against the Government,” he said. “They [Ukip] didn’t do much locally, one leaflet and as far as I know no canvassing and none of their policies are local.

“Mid-term elections are hard for governments. It is the first time we have been in government so we are taking a pounding with the Tories.”