Liberal Democrat conference dominated by coalition speculation

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg sought to kill talk of a post-election deal with the Tories yesterday amid signs it would provoke an angry backlash from his party.

As expectations of a hung parliament grew, the Liberal Democrats' final conference before the general election expected on May 6 was dominated by speculation about a coalition government.

Delegates in Birmingham have made clear, however, their strong animosity towards the Conservative Party.

Liberal Democrat MPs warned privately that a majority of the parliamentary party would not support Mr Clegg if he entered a formal coalition with the Tories.

Aides to the leader indicated he would not attempt to do anything that did not carry the party.

In his keynote speech at the close of the three-day gathering yesterday afternoon, Mr Clegg rowed back from any impression that he was courting either the Tories or Labour.

"I am not the kingmaker," he insisted. "The 45 million voters of Britain are the kingmakers. They give politicians their marching orders, not the other way round."

Insisting that the Liberal Democrats were not a "wasted" vote, he suggested that the party was in fact a small step from emerging as the dominant force in the House of Commons.

"Almost one in four voters chose the Liberal Democrats at the last election. If that increased to one in three, we could lead the next government," he insisted.

"This election is a time for voters to choose, not a time for politicians to play footsie with each other. The party which gets the strongest mandate from the voters will have the moral authority to be the first to seek to govern."

He pointed to the fact that 32 per cent of people did not vote for Labour or the Tories at the last general election as evidence that the two-party system was giving way. However, two new polls yesterday showed that Mr Clegg was well short of winning a third of the popular vote.

According to ICM they were on 21 per cent, and according to YouGov just 17 per cent.

The polls also indicated that the Tories' lead over Labour - at, respectively, four points and seven points - was not enough to guarantee Mr Cameron a clear Commons majority.

But MPs from the "progressive" wing of the Liberal Democrats claim privately that there would be very little support for a formal coalition with the Tories.

Any deal at all - for example an informal arrangement on an issue by issue basis - would have to ensure that the Lib Democrats' independence was not put at risk.

Leading Liberal Democrat supporter Claire Rayner urged Mr Clegg today against cosying up to the Tories.