Nick Clegg has insisted he will not back down on his demands for Lord Rennard to apologise to women who made allegations about his behaviour. The party's former chief executive has launched legal action to block a second internal inquiry.
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.
Former Liberal leader Lord Steel has told ITV News the party is in an "awful mess" over the Rennard row and it needs "to get a grip" of it.
Lord Rennard has threatened to take legal action after being suspended for refusing to apologise over sexual harassment allegations.