Vince Cable Accused of Plot to Oust Nick Clegg

Lib Dems say Nick Clegg is 'toxic' on the doorstep due to
decisions on policies such as tuition fees

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Supporters of the Deputy Prime Minister claim the Business Secretary's team commissioned polls designed to encourage Lib Dems to ditch Nick Clegg as leader

Nick Clegg’s allies have accused supporters of Vince Cable of plotting to undermine the Deputy Prime Minister’s position as Liberal Democrat leader.

Supporters of Mr Clegg have said that the Business Secretary’s team is responsible for commissioning opinion polls that suggest the Lib Dems will do better at the general election if they get rid of Mr Clegg.

Senior ministers close to Mr Clegg are also demanding that ICM Research, the polling firm that conducted the surveys, reveals who paid for the work.

The Lib Dem row over the polling comes as Mr Clegg faces calls for his resignation over the party’s dismal performance in the European elections, where the Lib Dems were beaten by the Greens and lost all but one of their MEPs.

Some Lib Dem MPs and candidates believe the party needs to remove Mr Clegg to improve its chances in next year’s general election. » James Kirkup, Political Editor | Tuesday, May 27, 2014