Clegg To "Defend" Scotland

The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will speak at the Scottish Lib Dem party conference in Dundee today.

He will draw attention to the backlash his party suffered for agreeing to join the Conservatives in UK Government at the last general election.

He is expected to say:``I know that the fact of going into coalition with the Conservatives has been particularly controversial in Scotland

``The legacy of Margaret Thatcher's Government lingers long in the memory.

``People in Scotland know that the Conservatives cannot be trusted to deliver a fairer society.

``Not on their own anyway.

``With only one MP in Scotland, who honestly thinks that the Conservatives on their own will stand up for you?''

The Lib Dems have 11 MPs in Scotland, including Scottish Secretary Michael Moore and Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander.