Clegg insists Cable 'was not aware' of Oakeshott poll

Nick Clegg has sent out a defiant message that he will "fight back" as he is pictured in a "political storm" on the front page of Sheffield's The Star newspaper.

The Star tweeted a preview of the dramatic front page a day before it hits the news stands:

Mr Clegg has faced a failed attempt to oust him as Liberal Democrat leader in the aftermath of the party's dreadful showings in the recent local and European elections, amid doubts he can retain his own Sheffield Hallam seat at next year's election.

Read: Clegg is safe but the Lib Dems might not be

By Chris Ship, ITV News Deputy Political Editor

Within the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg personally is pretty safe. His chief potential rivals - Vince Cable, Tim Farron and perhaps Danny Alexander - have all had to row in behind Mr Clegg and say how much they support him.

Where does it leave the Liberal Democrats in the country after the terrible showing in the local and European elections last week?

I don't think they are in a very good place at all.

David Cameron has said that he only judges Vince Cable by "the results he delivers", as he does all his ministers.

The Prime Minister was speaking in the wake of a failed leadership coup against his Liberal Democrat Deputy PM Nick Clegg.

More: Nick Clegg: I won't sack Vince Cable

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has said that he will not sack his Business Secretary after insisting that he had no part in a failed plot to oust him.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the Business Secretary was fully supportive of his leadership and insisted he did not believe "for a second" the Cabinet minister had been behind the plot to force him out of the party's top job.

During his regular Call Clegg show on LBC he said: "He was absolutely not aware of polls elsewhere. He has made it very, very clear that he, for instance, didn't want any questions about leadership in the poll which he did have some control over in his own constituency.

More: Clegg: Ukip is 'ploughing on with politics of blame'

Nick Clegg has played down suggestions that Vince Cable knew about a controversial poll commissioned by Lord Oakeshott in the Deputy Prime Minister's constituency.

The peer, who has now resigned from the Liberal Democrats, privately commissioned surveys in several constituencies that showed a collapse in support for the party since 2010.

But Mr Clegg insisted the Business Secretary, once seen as an ally of Lord Oakeshott, was unaware of a survey in the Lib Dem leader's Sheffield Hallam seat.

"Vince Cable clearly didn't know a thing about a poll being conducted in Sheffield," the Deputy Prime Minister told BBC Radio Sheffield.

Read: Nick Clegg to face further questions on Lib Dem leadership

Vince Cable has insisted he has remained loyal to Nick Clegg, saying "there was no disloyalty whatever".

Speaking to the BBC in China the Business Secretary denied he was involved in secret polls undermining Mr Clegg's leadership, and said he wanted to make it "absolutely clear" he was backing the Deputy Prime Minister.

He added: "People are putting round the story that there is some division on that, there is not. I made it absolutely clear from the beginning of this week that there is absolutely no leadership issue."

He said that although "lots of polls" were carried out, he "knew nothing" about the ones that Lord Oakeshott ran, which indicated the party's general election performance would improve were Mr Clegg to resign.

Lord Oakeshott has since resigned from the Liberal Democrat party.

Nick Clegg has questioned Ukip's political intentions, saying that their leader Nigel Farage was "ploughing on with a politics of blame."

Speaking on LBC Radio's 'Call Clegg' programme, the deputy Prime Minister said that he felt Ukip's proposals would "only make feelings of insecurity worse."

Clegg is facing questions from the general public for the first time since the Liberal Democrats suffered a mauling in recent elections.

More: Vince Cable denies 'all knowledge' of Oakeshott leadership poll

Nick Clegg will face further questions over his leadership of the Liberal Democrat despite facing down a failed coup from within his party earlier this week.

Clegg faces a potentially tricky situation in dealing with senior colleague Vince Cable, with the Business Secretary being forced to deny involvement in polls Lord Oakeshott ran which indicated the party's general election performance would improve were Mr Clegg to resign.

The Deputy Prime Minister will also face questions from the public for the first time since last weeks' poor election results on his weekly radio phone-in on LBC Radio.

More: Vince Cable denies 'all knowledge' of Oakeshott leadership poll

Liberal Democrat Transport Minister Baroness Kramer has defended Vince Cable.

She told BBC Two's Newsnight:

Asked whether Dr Cable knew that Lord Oakeshott's polls were asking about the Business Secretary's suitability as a potential Lib Dem leader, Lady Kramer said: