Party has stalled in polls - Clegg - News in brief

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Mr Clegg - who took over as leader a year ago - acknowledged that the party was stalled in the opinion polls. However he insisted that they would do better when it came to the real vote in a general election.

"This is my first year in the leadership, I have enjoyed it immensely. I also know that I am in the early stages of my leadership," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

"If you look back in history it takes a while for all Liberal Democrat leaders to get out and about in the country so that more people can see them. But come the time of the next general election I'm absolutely confident that people will know more about me."

He said that he would like to see the party picking up in the opinion polls where it is currently stuck at around 18 to 19%.

"I would like that to be higher," he said.

He pointed out however that the party had done significantly better in the local elections last May, when it pushed Labour into third place, and he said that he expected the same to happen when it came to the general election.

"Polls come and go. The only time when opinion was tested in the ballot box we actually had a much better result than anyone predicted and I fully expect that will happen come the next general election," he said.

Mr Clegg refused to be drawn on what the party would do if, after the election, it held the balance of power in a hung parliament.

"I think it is unfair on the British people and British voters to say that politicians are going to start speculating about cutting deals with each other before they have spoken," he said. "It is the height of arrogance it seems to me."