Lib Dem MPs call for 'clarification' from Tories

Liberal Democrat MPs today called for “clarification” of a possible deal with the Tories, including on the key issue of electoral reform.

The party’s MPs also called for further information about plans regarding education funding and fairer taxes.

Lib Dem frontbencher David Laws said the party had agreed its leader Nick Clegg would also continue to listen to representations from Prime Minister Gordon Brown while clarification is sought about the offer from the Tories.

Mr Laws was speaking at Westminster after a two-and-a-half hour meeting of Lib Dem MPs in which they were briefed about the talks with David Cameron's party.

The MPs agreed that the “central priority must be to form a strong and stable government in the national interest”.

Mr Laws, a member of the Lib Dem team negotiating with the Tories, said the MPs agreed that “very good progress” had been made in the talks.

“But they have also asked for clarification of details in relation to education funding, fair taxes and in relation to issues in regard to voting reform and progress on that issue,” he said.

Mr Laws went on: “The parliamentary party has also agreed that the leader will continue to listen to representations that are coming from the leader of the Labour Party, that clarification will be sought from the Conservative Party on the particular points I mentioned and they have also agreed that it is vital that progress should be made on all of these matters as soon as possible in the national interest.”

The MPs had agreed that reducing the deficit should be “at the heart of any agreement”, he said.

Liberal Democrat energy spokesman Simon Hughes said he would be ``surprised'' if a deal was done by the end of today.

“I’m sure there will be a government by the end of the week,” he added.

A further meeting of the parliamentary party will be held later today, front bench economics spokesman Jeremy Browne said.

A Lib Dem spokesman said no time had yet been determined for that gathering.

This afternoon's meeting of Lib Dem MPs came after talks between the party's negotiation team and Tories in Whitehall earlier in the day, in which both sides said ``further progress'' had been made.

Tory negotiator William Hague said that the talks centred on “specific proposals”, but remained tight-lipped about the details of what was discussed.

Mr Cameron briefed his shadow cabinet on the state of the negotiations, and will address Tory MPs at a crunch gathering of the backbench 1922 Committee in Westminster later today.

Tory sources revealed that Mr Clegg and Mr Cameron also met face-to-face again this morning while the negotiating teams were locked in talks at the Cabinet Office.

The latest 30-minute conversation, which followed a half hour telephone chat earlier in the day, “went well”, the source said.

As he left his London home earlier in the day, Mr Clegg said he wanted to arrive at a conclusion to negotiations “as soon as possible”.

But he added: “I hope people equally understand that it would be better to get the decision right rather than rushing into something which won’t stand the test of time.

“Throughout this process, we continue to be guided by our ambitions and objectives of bringing stability to the British economy and introducing the big changes of tax reform, in our schools system, the way our economy is run and the way our political system is organised.”

Mr Brown, who is facing an increasing clamour from his own MPs to step down, was joined by some of his most senior lieutenants this morning.

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson, Schools Secretary Ed Balls and deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman slipped into Number 10 shortly after 9.20am.

It appeared last night that Mr Brown had not given up his slender hopes of retaining Labour’s grip on power after it emerged he had held a secret meeting with Mr Clegg.

Both sides were playing down the significance of their discussion, at the Foreign Office, describing them as “amicable” but stressing that the two men were simply updating each other on the latest situation.