Nick Clegg accused of taking election result for granted

Apr 26 2010 by Jonathan Walker

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has “got a bit above himself” by demanding Gordon Brown quit as Prime Minister if there is a hung Parliament, a Cabinet Minister has claimed.

Labour Health Secretary Andy Burnham accused the Liberal Democrat leader of taking the result of the election for granted.

He made the comments as a series of opinion polls continue to put Labour in third place, with the Conservatives first and the Lib Dems second. One of the latest, published by YouGov, gave the Conservatives 34 per cent of the vote, with the Liberal Democrats on 30 per cent and Labour on 28 per cent.

This would lead to a hung Parliament with the Conservatives and Labour as the two largest parties - potentially allowing Mr Clegg to choose the next Prime Minister.

The Lib Dem leader has warned he would not allow Gordon Brown to stay in power, saying: “I think, if Labour do come third in terms of the number of votes cast, then people would find it inexplicable that Gordon Brown himself could carry on as Prime Minister which is what the old convention would dictate.”

This has led to speculation Labour could appoint a new leader after polling day, such as Home Secretary Alan Johnson, and continue to govern with Lib Dem support.

Mr Burnham said: “I believe Nick Clegg is beginning to believe his own hype.

“He has got a bit above himself on the basis of a couple of good outings on the telly. But what matters is what the public has to say on polling day.”

He added: “It is not share of the vote - it is seats in the House of Commons that is the issue here.”

The Health Secretary also criticised Tory leader David Cameron for suggesting in a television interview that public spending was too high in the North-east and Northern Ireland.

He said: “The West Midlands is one of those regions where spending and employment in the public sector is above the national average.”

If Conservatives cut spending in the north east they would then move on to the West Midlands, Mr Burnham claimed.