Nick Clegg insists he won't back down in Lord Rennard row

Miriam Clegg has described claims in the Daily Telegraph that she influenced her husband's response to the row with Lord Rennard as a "complete fabrication".

The newspaper claimed the 45-year-old was "furious" at Lord Rennard's refusal to apologise to the woman who accused him of sexual harassment, and had "shaped" Nick Clegg's response to the row.

Earlier, Nick Clegg angrily denied suggestions his wife was responsible for his tough stance on the issue, saying it was "just not on" for the media to involve his family in the dispute.

"It's total garbage, it is a complete work of fiction. Look, you can make up stuff about me, as indeed people do day in day out, have a go at me, but just don't drag Miriam into it, don't drag politicians' families into it. That's just not on," the Liberal Democrat leader said.

Read: Nick Clegg insists he won't back down on Rennard

Nick Clegg has insisted he will not back down over his demands for Lord Rennard to apologise to four women who made allegations about the former chief executive's behaviour.

Lord Rennard has threatened to take legal action after he was suspended for refusing to apologise, sparking fears that the party could be torn apart by the row.

Speaking during his weekly phone-in on LBC radio, the Liberal Democrat leader stressed that the conclusions of an independent report into the situation had to be enforced.

"Just imagine if Alistair Webster (QC) had recommended that an apology should be issued and I came out and said 'Thank you very much, we will file away the report, and by the way, none of the recommendations need to be accepted or adhered to'. There would have quite rightly been outrage."

Mr Clegg said Lord Rennard was not acting in his own best interests in refusing to say sorry, arguing it was the "human thing" to do even where distress had been caused "inadvertently".

Read: Liberal Democrats in 'awful mess' over Rennard row

Alison Smith, one of the women who made allegations against Lord Rennard, has said she would be happy for a report carried out by Alistair Webster QC into the claims to be published.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "As far as I understood, Lord Rennard has seen what I said. I haven't seen the final report either and I would like to as much as the next person."

Asked if it should be published, she replied: "Yes, actually I do, but actually I've appealed on the grounds that too much emphasis was placed on intent. I think the crux of the matter was whether he brought the party into disrepute, not whether he intended to behave as he did."

Lord Rennard has denied the allegations and has said he will not apologise to the women who complained about him.

A senior Lib Dem source has said that "obviously we disagree" with Lord Steel and that reinstating Lord Rennard "is not going to sort it out".

The former Liberal leader had told ITV News the party should lift the suspension on the former chief executive, who is accused of bringing the party into disrepute by refusing to apologise to women who complained about him.

Watch Lord Steel on the Rennard row: The party has got itself in an 'awful mess'

The former Liberal leader Lord Steel has told ITV News the Liberal Democrat party has got itself in an "awful mess" over the Lord Rennard saga.

He said: "The first rule in politics is when you're in a hole, stop digging and the fact is they have been digging on both sides for the past two days."

Video: former Liberal leader Lord Steel calls for Lord Rennard to be reinstated

The former Liberal leader Lord Steel has told ITV News that the party should lift the threat of expulsion hanging over Lord Rennard and the peer should withdraw any legal action.

He says the party leadership need to "get to grips" with the situation.

The former Liberal leader Lord Steel has called on the party to lift the threat of expulsion hanging over Lord Rennard.

He said the party had become obsessed with the allegations against its former chief executive, which was "very, very damaging".

He also appealed to Lord Rennard to drop his threat of legal action over a fresh inquiry into claims he'd brought the party into disrepute.

Lord Rennard is challenging Nick Clegg's attempt to have his conduct investigated in a second internal party inquiry.

ITV News understands the Liberal Democrat peer has hired a senior QC to try to get an injunction to stop the inquiry which was announced yesterday.

It is due to look into claims that he brought the party into disrepute by failing to apologise to women who complained about his behaviour.

Sources close to Lord Rennard said he had moved "heaven and earth" to try to get the matter resolved.

"Legal moves are expected within days," a spokesman said.

"We feel this second inquiry is a re-run of the first.

He is facing trial for the same charge - even though we have had two inquiries, one by the police, another by the Liberal Democrats and both concluded no further action should be taken."

Watch: Lord Ashdown urges Lord Rennard to reflect on his approach to the complaints