Nick Clegg told delegates in Cardiff that he remains deeply committed to devolving more and more power to Wales. Our Political Editor Adrian Masters asked him why the UK Government hadn't moved more quickly to transfer control of 'minor taxes' recently recommended by the Silk Commission.
In his speech to the Welsh Liberal Democrats, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said that in the week of Margaret Thatcher's funeral, the Lib Dems need to face up to the need to get more women into politics.
– Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MPMargaret Thatcher was the first [woman] to reach the very top. Our party still has a way to go on this ... more female councillors, more female Assembly Members, more female MPs, more female MEPs. But today I want to pay a special tribute to the Welsh Liberal Democrats for leading the way.
The Welsh party is lead by a woman, Kirsty Williams, who is one of two female AMs in a five strong group. One of its three MPs is also female. Mr Clegg said they needed to build on that.
This party is too male and too pale and that needs to change. We need more Liberal Democrat role models for black and Asian boys and girls; for disabled boys and girls; four young gay men and women too.
Protesters campaigning against the so-called 'bedroom tax' and other cuts in government spending held a small demonstration outside the Cardiff hotel where the Welsh Liberal Democrats are holding their conference.
They claimed that the Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, had 'gall' to come to Cardiff and described him as 'the millionaire deputy prime minister who lives in a million pound home while telling us we need to downsize our homes'.
In the Conference hall, Mr Clegg told delegates that governments had to live within their means. But he denied that the coalition is 'cruel and unbending', saying ministers had made a pragmatic choice to slow down the deficit and debt reduction timetable.
In his speech to the Welsh Liberal Democrats' conference in Cardiff, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he was committed to increasing the powers of the Assembly and Welsh Government.
Our Political Editor Adrian Masters asked him why his government wasn't moving more quickly to devolve smaller taxes as recommended by the Silk Commission.
In his speech to the Welsh Liberal Democrats' conference in Cardiff, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told delegates that he remains personally committed to increasing the powers of the Assembly and Welsh Government.
The Deputy Prime Minister is expected to tell Welsh Liberal Democrats that he's committed to transferring more powers from Westminster to the Welsh Government. Nick Clegg will tell delegates that devolution remains central to his philosophy.
As Liberal Democrats we know that a fairer society for Wales means more power for Wales too. That’s why we pushed for the Silk Commission and why we want a proper debate about how to devolve more power. This is something we can only do together. Together as nations; together as governments; and together as Liberal Democrats.
– Nick CleggDevolution has always been and remains a basic tenet of our party and key to the sort of liberalism I believe in. We make compromises daily in government, but be sure of one thing: our commitment to devolution, indeed my commitment to more powers for Wales, is as strong as it ever was.
The Liberal Democrats are holding their Welsh conference in Cardiff this weekend. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will speak to delegates this morning and UK Business Secretary Vince Cable will speak this afternoon. Party leader in Wales, Kirsty Williams will close the conference tomorrow
The leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats has been speaking about allegations concerning the former Chief Executive of the UK Lib Dems, Lord Rennard. Kirsty Williams says she's 'satisfied' that the investigations set up by the party are the 'best way to establish exactly what happened.'
She says that in 2008 she received an email which has been referred to in recent reports asking if any concerns had been raised about Lord Rennard's behaviour. She says 'I had no issues to report and nobody had discussed his behaviour with me' but she says she too wants answers.
Any allegation that people behaved inappropriately towards women makes me feel sick to the pit of my stomach.
Women report or don't report for a whole variety of reasons and we respect why they don't report.
It would be very difficult to find any women who haven't in their personal or professional life experienced some sort of inappropriate behaviour.
If you think that Wales and Welsh politics is immune from that behaviour, you're kidding yourself.
Two of the women who've made allegations have connections to the Welsh party. Kirsty Williams says the Welsh Lib Dems will ensure that their procedures are up to scratch although she's confident they are.
There's no evidence that there's any issue with Welsh Liberal Democrats' [complaints] procedure. I would like to satisfy myself that that advice is right and that the right procedures are in place. We will ask the NEC to look at existing policy and take it from there.
London Mayor Boris Johnson left a pre-recorded message for Nick Clegg's LBC 97.3 radio phone-in to ask "when are you going to get all those Government ministers out of their posh limos and onto public transport".
When Chelsea footballer Eden Hazard appeared to kick a 17-year-old ball boy during last night's match against Swansea, it sparked a fierce debate.
Now even Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has shared his views on the controversy. When asked about it during a radio phone-in, he said he believed both the player and the ball boy were at fault.
– Nick CleggMy early judgment is - this is going to sound like painful fence-sitting - but I think they are both at fault. Hazard absolutely should not have done what he did, that was absolutely out of order. Benitez has been clear on that. But the ball boy did seem to kind of cover the ball, which is frustrating for a player.
