DESPITE a flat response in the hall to their leader’s speech, Liberal Democrat activists gave a thumbs-up to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s speech afterwards.
Terry Lucy from Medway, attending his seventh party conference, described it as “the best leader’s speech he has heard yet”. He said: “I was very, very impressed. He said the right things in the sense that we have to make tough decisions as a party in government because that is what government is all about.”
Elizabeth Jewkes from Chester had been playing “leader’s speech bingo” in the hall based on the words she and her friends expected to come up. She said: “I am pleased he did not say the word sorry. We have said sorry now and we need to move on from that.
“Nick used the words ‘tough’, ‘tax’ and ‘decisions’ most and those were the sort of things we needed to hear as a party.”
Sean Hooker from Barnett said: “I am really proud of what I have just heard. I think he stepped up to the mark.”
He added: “We need to be outlining what we have achieved in the coalition and emphasising our distinctive identity. I think this speech helped us do that.”
Kath Hawkins from Torquay said: “It was very well received in the hall because it was a very good and uplifting speech.” Jean Cope, also from Torquay, added: “He showed that we are doing the right thing and it was important he did that.”
Iain Donaldson, a member who lost his council seat in Manchester last year, said: “We are doing the right thing.
“We will win our council seats back and in the end we are in this for the long game. We have to prove two, three, four times that we can be a party government and then eventually voters may elect us in with a majority to deliver a liberal agenda for Britain.”