Nick Clegg inspires Yorkshire & Humber Regional Conference delegates

8.45.00pm GMT Tue 4th Nov 2008

Nick Clegg taking the Regional Conference with him

"Now I know what the State Pension is," quipped Nick Clegg to gales of laughter from the conference floor, "and since my last talk with Vince, I could sit an exam on State benefits."

But on Saturday the 1st of November in Sheffield Cathedral's Conference Centre the young leader of the Liberal Democrats also got to grips with the serious issues of the day. The nation's apparent growth in wealth, based on a mountain of personal debt built over the last decade, has come to an abrupt halt. And the full extent of the fall out of the credit crunch has yet to be seen.

"It is the Liberal Democrats who have the policies to make Britain a fairer and stronger country able to face the challenges of the 21st century. With big tax cuts for low and average income earners, the closing of tax loop holes for the rich, the scrapping of the ID card scheme and an ambitious green agenda to name but a few of our ideas, we can move forward to a more hopeful tomorrow."

Clegg then exhorted the conference to 'make it happen' by taking up the challenge 'to knock on a million doors' with the new vision of the Party to engage the nation in forging a better future.