LONDON, Apr 27 (AFP): The leader of Britain's newly-buoyant Liberal Democrats was accused of arrogance Tuesday as he struggled to clarify what he would do if his party holds the balance of power after elections next week.
Nick Clegg has come under growing pressure to say whether he would work with either of the two bigger parties -- Prime Minister Gordon Brown's ruling Labour or the Conservatives -- if the Lib Dems emerge as kingmakers after May 6 polls.
But opposition parties accuse him of presumptuously trying to dictate terms ahead of the general election and commentators say his stance risks confusing voters.
Business Secretary Peter Mandelson accused Clegg of "overreaching himself" in comments seen as specifying who exactly he might work with if, as polls suggest, his party ends up holding the balance of power.
"That appeared to many to be slightly arrogant," Mandelson said, warning that voters who "flirted" with Clegg might wake up in bed with Conservative leader David Cameron.
"Worse still, you could find yourselves waking up with George Osborne, William Hague, or heaven forbid, Eric Pickles. That is a life I think you would live to regret," Mandelson added, referring to other senior Conservatives.
After years as the third party in British politics, Clegg's centrist Liberal Democrats have surged to a close second in most opinion polls after his strong showing in Britain's first-ever televised election leaders' debates.
The party could end up as power brokers in a hung parliament where no party has an overall majority, which opinion polls suggest is likely for the first time since 1974.
British centrist leader under fire over hung parliament
FE Team | Published: April 28, 2010 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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