Lib Dems have taken 'big knocks', says Nick Clegg
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Whatever happened to Cleggmania? It's a question Lib Dem MPs will be asking themselves as they survey today's local election results as they come in.
This morning Nick Clegg spoke to media amid the Liberal Democrats worst local elections performance in 30 years. The Lib Dem leader said his party are being "blamed" for spending cuts inflicted by the coalition.
It's a stark contrast from only 12 months ago when 'Cleggmania' saw the Liberal Democrats soar ahead of Labour in opinion polls after Nick Clegg's convincing performances in the leadership elections.
But unpopular decisions taken by the coalition government, including drastic public sector spending cuts and Mr Clegg's backing for the £9,000-a-year limit on tuition fees, have sparked opposition even from staunch Lib Dems.
All the results aren't in yet but the Lib Dems have already lost almost 300 councillors in total, whilst the Tory vote seems to be holding up. Labour is making advances in English councils and the Welsh Assembly.
Mr Clegg told press the Lib Dems were facing "the brunt of the blame" for coalition spending cuts, adding that, for some voters, they were bringing out "memories of things under Thatcher".
But he promised to "redouble our efforts" and "get up and dust ourselves down".For the Conservatives,
Foreign Secretary William Hague defended the Lib Dems, saying membership of the coalition had been "the right thing to do for the country".He added: "Whether it's the right thing for them for an electoral point of view will be determined over the next few years, over five years, not just over one year of coalition, and I think they know that."
This morning Nick Clegg spoke to media amid the Liberal Democrats worst local elections performance in 30 years. The Lib Dem leader said his party are being "blamed" for spending cuts inflicted by the coalition.
It's a stark contrast from only 12 months ago when 'Cleggmania' saw the Liberal Democrats soar ahead of Labour in opinion polls after Nick Clegg's convincing performances in the leadership elections.
But unpopular decisions taken by the coalition government, including drastic public sector spending cuts and Mr Clegg's backing for the £9,000-a-year limit on tuition fees, have sparked opposition even from staunch Lib Dems.
All the results aren't in yet but the Lib Dems have already lost almost 300 councillors in total, whilst the Tory vote seems to be holding up. Labour is making advances in English councils and the Welsh Assembly.
Mr Clegg told press the Lib Dems were facing "the brunt of the blame" for coalition spending cuts, adding that, for some voters, they were bringing out "memories of things under Thatcher".
But he promised to "redouble our efforts" and "get up and dust ourselves down".For the Conservatives,
Foreign Secretary William Hague defended the Lib Dems, saying membership of the coalition had been "the right thing to do for the country".He added: "Whether it's the right thing for them for an electoral point of view will be determined over the next few years, over five years, not just over one year of coalition, and I think they know that."
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