22/04/2010

Clegg Critised In Lead Up To Next TV Debate

Gordan Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are preparing for the second of three ministral TV Debates.

The Lib Dem leader has come under recent attack over political donations and policies with the party claiming he is being "smeared" ahead of the second TV debate.

Mr Clegg, whose party enjoyed a poll boost after last week's debate, said he had done

nothing wrong.

The Tories say he has questions to answer over claims political donations were paid into his bank account.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Mr Clegg received up to £250 a month from three businessmen in 2006, paid into his bank account.

The Mail led on comments he made in 2002 about Anglo-German relations under the headline "Nick Clegg in Nazi Slur on Britain". He was also attacked in The Sun and the Daily Express.

Mr Clegg, whose popularity was on a par with Winston Churchill according to one headline last week, said: "I have done nothing wrong. In the next few days I will publish figures to prove it."

Last night Mr Clegg denied the money had been used for his own personal spending and said that it had subsidised his parliamentary work.

Mr Clegg added: "I must be the only politician in the space of a week to go from Churchill to Nazi."

The second prime ministerial TV debate is being shown simultaneously on Sky News, Sky 3, and the BBC News Channel from 8pm to 9.30pm. It will also be streamed live on the BBC News website, and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It will then be re-run on BBC Two, starting at 11.30pm.

(LB/CD)

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