Clegg tips hat to Tories and Labour for future coalition

It’s the turn of Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg to play the kingmaker card, after he said he would be happy to work with either Labour or the Tories after the 7 May election.

Asked if he could “do business” with Conservative leader David Cameron after five bruising years of coalition, he seemed unfazed, possibly even keen.

“Oh sure, of course,” he said. “We managed to do so for five years through thick and thin. We had some pretty intense debates and arguments along the way.”

And when asked about a possible coalition with Labour, he added: “In the same way that we have given a heart to this coalition, I suspect we will give an economic spine to a government with the Labour Party.”

But did he trust the Tory leader? Bullet dodged: “We found a way of working together and that’s the bottom line, and that’s what the country expected of us in May 2010.”