Nick Clegg sets out what he hopes the Coalition will have achieved by 2015

By Tim Montgomerie

Nick Clegg has just given his speech to the Liberal Democrat Conference in Liverpool. The full text is on the LibDemVoice website but it included new powers for local authorities to borrow and a strong message that the government won't cut like Margaret Thatcher and there will be no return to selection in schools.

In the final section of his speech he set out what he wants to achieve by the time the Coalition government has ended:

"I want you to imagine what you will say to people when you knock on their door at the next General Election.

Imagine how it will feel to say that in Government, Liberal Democrats have restored civil liberties, scrapped ID cards, and got innocent people’s DNA off the police database.

Imagine how it will feel to say that our Government has taken action to cut reoffending, and cut crime, while stopping Labour’s mass incarceration of children.

We will have withdrawn our combat troops from Afghanistan, our brave servicemen and women having completed the difficult job we asked them to do.

You will be able to explain that finally, we have a fair tax system where the rich pay their share, and the lowest earners pay no income tax at all.

Our banking levy will have raised £10bn, reckless bonuses for short term gain will have ended, and banks will be lending responsibly again.

Imagine how it will feel to visit home after home that our Green Deal has made warm and affordable to heat.

You’ll be able to tell people they have a new right to sack MPs who do wrong, and that the party funding scandals of the past are history.

You’ll be campaigning alongside Liberal Democrat candidates for the House of Lords."