Clegg warns against a return to opposition

Nick Clegg will address his party on the final day of the Liberal Democrat conference. Credit: PA Wire

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg will urge his party to hold its nerve and accept "vitriol and abuse" as the price of proving to voters they have now become a serious party of government.

In a speech that will close the party's autumn conference in Brighton, the Sheffield Hallam MP is also expected to warn against the "alluring prospect" of returning to the comfort zone of opposition and will set out his vision of the party's future beyond the 2015 general election.

The Deputy Prime Minister will also unveil a £500-per-pupil "catch up premium" to pay for intensive classes for youngsters arriving at secondary school without the required level of reading and maths skills.