British student protestors face trial

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/184062.html

The justice system in Britain, known to boast of backing freedom of speech and human rights, is to put pro-democracy students on trial for shouting their anger at government's invasion of their education.

After the massive anti-tuition fee demonstrations in London back in December, the British police launched what a participant described as a “media witch-hunt”, releasing pictures of the students they called “violent thugs” and calling on the public to collaborate with the security forces on their identification.

Now, the 'identified' students will face the court to pay the price for voicing their viewpoints on the embattled policies the government has been pursuing.

One of the 'offenders' to face trial is Alfie Meadows, the student who was beaten by the police, lost consciousness and ended up in the intensive care unit for trying to escape a police 'kettle' in London.

The police have charged the 21-year-old with engaging in violent disorder during the tuition fee protests. Meadows faces five years in prison over the charges.

“Alfie needed emergency brain surgery to save his life after suffering serious injuries at the demonstration of December 9th, the same demonstration at which I was twice dragged out of my wheelchair by police officers,” says jody McIntyre, who recently saw his complaint of officers' assault and brutality rejected by the Metropolitan Police.

Scotland Yard's directorate of professional standards (DPS) claimed officers had pulled McIntyre from his wheelchair to protect him in a “volatile, dangerous situation during violent clashes ” at the student demonstrations.

Violent disorder is defined as “where three or more people (including the accused) use or threaten unlawful violence and, the conduct of them taken together is such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness to fear for their personal safety,” McIntyre wrote in an article for the Independent.

“In fact, there was a group of three or more people who put me in fear of my personal safety on December 9th. They were wearing hi-vis jackets, with the words 'Metropolitan Police' emblazoned on the front. The police have since investigated themselves, and find the actions to be 'lawful and justifiable',” he added.

Hundreds of demonstrators are to hold a rally outside Westminster City magistrates court where Meadows and 43 others will be put on trial over the student protests last year.

Meadows has “strongly” denied his charges saying “I exercised my right to protest against something I feel strongly about”.

The Scotland Yard has claimed those facing trial have broken the law accusing them of endangering “those who wish to protest peacefully by committing criminal offences”.

One of Mr Meadows' solicitors, Sarah McSherry, said she had seen the use of "tactics which infringe the right to peaceful protest, privacy and freedom of expression, assembly and movement" over the last few months.

"These include the photographing of protesters, the use of kettling to detain them and obtain their personal details, aggressive policing, particularly to enforce kettles, which places protesters, like Alfie Meadows, at risk of significant harm and the criminalization of, particularly young, protesters," she added.

Pre-crime arrests challenge UK police

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/178021.html

British police are using an anti-terror legislation as a pretext to crack down on dissent on one hand, and to fight for funding on the other, warn pro-democracy activists.

The warning comes after local police forces launched a widespread arrest campaign in the run-up to last week's royal wedding in London, British media reported.

Police arrested dozens of people before heir to the throne Prince William prepared to wed Kate Middleton, but they were forced to release them without charges shortly afterwards.

A legal watchdog has advised victims of a wave of recent activists' arrest to “sue and try and force a judicial review” of cases, where police failed to charge the nabbed activists.

The Legal Defence and Monitoring Group (LDMG) said the arrests could have been made as part of a police fight for funding in the wake of the coalition government's spending review program, which enforces big budget cuts on the police forces.

"Usually police only arrest people if they have a reason to charge them, but at recent protests the arrest-to-charge rate has been really low”, said LDMG member Andy Meinke.

"We've been seeing very, very high numbers for minor public order offences and it has been happening since the police started pushing to protect their funding - it smacks of them trying to make the situation worse to protect their own", he said.

The arrest by plain-clothes officers of a man in Soho Square taking part in a republican "zombie wedding" on April 29 and of three event organisers including activist Chris Knight the previous day was a matter of particular concern, Meinke added.

"They've been talking about preventing a breach of the peace with some of these arrests, but legally it's very clear that it has to be in response to an imminent and directed threat of violence."

"We would encourage anyone who has been arrested and released without charge to look at challenging actions they believe to have been unwarranted, either through suing or forcing a judicial review", said the legal adviser.

The activists' arrest puts a big question mark before the claims that the UK is an advocate of democracy, freedom of expression and human rights.

The UK, if it was a democracy, has lost its credibility to be a democratic state, said the activists.

There have never taken place so many democratic activists' arrests, anywhere in the world, not only on suspicion of thought-crime, speech-crime, or political assembly crime, but now on offences defined by the British police as pre-crime.

London set to limit right to protest

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/172128.html

The British government has announced controversial plans to ban protestors from taking part in public gatherings following the weekend anti-cuts rallies, which were marred by violence.

Based on a proposal by Home Secretary Theresa May, the police may be given new powers to prevent so-called hooligans from attending rallies and marches while officers will also be authorized to force demonstrators, who do not want to be known, to remove their face-scarves and balaclavas.

The announcement has raised concerns among MPs who say no hasty decision should be made on the issue as the police may abuse the “stop and search” powers to target ordinary people rather than “known hooligans”.

May outlined her plans during an emergency Commons briefing on the violent incidents, which marred the Saturday rally organized by the Trades Union Congress.

May told the MPs that she is considering “banning orders” similar to those used against football hooligans for the demonstrators who police thinks may turn to violence.

She also said officers should force more protestors to remove their masks and balaclavas to help the police quickly identify participants in the rallies.

"Just as the police review their operational tactics, so the Home Office will review the powers available to the police. I have asked the police whether they need further powers to prevent violence before it occurs. I am willing to consider powers which would ban known hooligans from rallies and marches and I will look into the powers the police already have to force the removal of face-coverings and balaclavas,” May said.

While the Metropolitan Police earlier said it has charged 149 people out of more than 200 arrested during the Saturday rallies with various offenses, at least five people have lodged complaints with Scotland Yard about police violence against marchers.

The Met said on Monday that it has charged 138 people in connection with the sit-in at Fortnum & Mason luxury store for charges including aggravated trespass.

However, the UK Uncut, which organized the sit-in dismissed any claims that those participating in the Fortnum & Mason incident resorted to violence.

"This was not a protest by people wearing balaclavas and breaking things. It was a peaceful and mild-mannered gathering by people from all walks of life - teachers, hospital workers, charity workers,” said Tim Matthews, a spokesman for UK Uncut.

"People who took part now find themselves charged with a criminal offence simply for exercising their right to protest," he added.

This come as Tom Brake MP, co-chair of the Liberal Democrat parliamentary policy committee on home affairs, justice and equalities warned the government against “a knee-jerk reaction” to what happened.

"Clearly there was a small minority who were out to cause trouble. We need to look in detail into whether the police have sufficient powers to tackle that, or whether they can be deployed differently to ensure such violent scenes don't happen again," Brake said.

Britain jobless rate hits 17-year high

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/170358.html

The UK unemployment rate has reached a 17-year high, marking a rise to 8% in the first three months of this year, said the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The ONS report showed that the number of people out of work in the UK increased by 27,000 over the previous three months to 2.53 million in the three months to January 2011, the highest total since 1994.

Youth unemployment increased to record levels again in the last three months at a time when university tuition fees are skyrocketing, support to stay in further education is disappearing, and services to find employment, education or training are being hacked away.

The jobless rate for those aged from 16 to 24 increased by 0.8% to reach 20.6%, the highest figure since comparable records in 1992.

According to Unison general secretary Dave Prentis, the new figures further reveal “the Conservative-Liberal Democrats' vicious assault on the vulnerable people of the society.”

“The Con-Dem cuts had created an abandoned generation - collateral damage of the government's failing economic policy," said Prentis.

Meanwhile, the general secretary of public sector union GMB, Paul Kenny addressed the people before the national Trade Union Congress (TUC) demonstration in London on March 26.

“There was widespread revulsion that the government is deliberately adding to the dole queues at a time when the economy has not recovered from the 'bankers' recession,” Kenny said.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said that it was "outrageous" for Employment Minister Chris Grayling to boast about the increase of 32,000 people in work -- the highest rise since last autumn.

"The government's aloof response to mounting unemployment will give no confidence that it is committed to growth or it understands that not only is it stimulating unemployment, it is also stimulating a rise in insecure work,” said McCluskey.

Minister: petrol prices could hit £2

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168317.html

A British government minister says continuation of the crisis in Libya and the countries in the wider region can shoot petrol prices up to £2 a liter.

Minister for International Development Alan Duncan said the escalation of tensions in Africa and the Middle East could lead to soaring crude prices well above the record high of $147 a barrel set in July 2008 to above $200.

“I've been saying in government for two months... $200 is in the cards if this goes wrong, if anyone is reckless and foments unrest. All I'm predicting is danger," Duncan told the Times.

The official added that if a situation is conceivable in which oil tankers and reserves in the Persian Gulf region are bombed by terrorists, then the prices could even hit the $250 level that would see petrol prices rise to £2.03 in Britain.

"It could be very serious. If crude oil doubles, you're going to have a very serious spike (in petrol prices). Try living without it for a week," the veteran oil trader said.

Duncan's warning comes as the government is under pressure even now that petrol prices stand at £1.30 a liter at the pump.

This is while Duncan said such prices could “look like a luxury” if the worst happens in North Africa and Middle East.

1,589 British lose job every day

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168288.html

Over 1,500 British people lose their jobs every day due to the country's £1.4trillion debt in loans and mortgages, which is more than the national output.

According to the personal debt charity Credit Action, Britain's debt rose by £1.5billion in 2011, which caused 1,589 redundancies every day and 833,000 unemployed for a year or more. This means the country now owe more than the total national production.

Una Farrell, of the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, said: “I fear that it is only going to get worse as household budgets are subject to inflation, welfare benefit changes, likely interest rate rises and redundancy. This pain will not be felt evenly. Certain groups are likely to be squeezed more than others such as low and middle income earners and pensioners.”

There have been over 300 people declaring bankruptcy every day since the last quarter of 2009 and over 1,000 people seeking debt rescheduling. There also have been over 80 property repossessions every day.

Jo Davies, Credit Action spokesperson, brought up concerns over the 'tricky year' ahead. She believes as the cost of living is increasing due to the inflation, the spending cuts affect families' budgets severely.

Food prices have also been rising unreasonably rapid that it has forced the government to take action against grocers. According to Swiss bank UBS economists, the government needs to put pressure on supermarkets or food producers for the high food prices can make severe problems in the country.

Davies said: “Given that we know there are going to be many tax and benefit changes coming in this year it's going to be a combination of many different things that have an impact. Finding yourself worse off and having less money at the end of each month is going to be very problematic for people and they could find they have problems dealing with credit commitments.”

50,000 UK hospital staff to lose jobs

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/166659.html

A new survey has revealed that more than 50,000 doctors, nurses, midwives and other staff with the UK's National Health Service (NHS) will lose their jobs.

Officials confirmed that 53,150 posts would be slashed across 155 hospital trusts, 126 primary care trusts, 23 ambulance trusts and 54 mental health trusts in England, as well as 15 Scottish trusts, nine Welsh trusts and six trusts in Northern Ireland, according to the most comprehensive survey of health cuts released as part of Freedom of Information requests.

Almost every trust in the UK admitted that they planned to dismiss staff over the next four years, with some losing up to one in five employees, according to the study.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has submitted the requests as part of its False Economy campaign against public spending cuts, which is launched today, the Daily Telegraph reported.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said it expected to shed 1,013 full time employees between 2010 and 2015, including almost 50 doctors and dental staff, and 270 nurses, midwives and health visitors.

“The majority of the reduction is likely to be in non-clinical posts as we seek to protect front line services where possible”, said a spokesman for the trust.

The Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was said to be cutting 682 posts between 2010 and 2013.

And the University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust was reported to be forecasting a reduction of 1,349 full-time posts by 2015 - 22.5 percent of its staff.

The British Medical Association last night warned that patient care would inevitably suffer, while the NHS Confederation - which represents health service managers - also confirmed that front line services would be affected, with job losses “inevitable”.

Anti-cuts protests spreading across UK

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/165333.html

The campaign against the British government's spending cuts is gathering momentum across the country with more protests planned for the coming weeks and months.

Members of the York Stop the Cuts group are advertising in leaflets the events they have set out to voice their anger against funding reductions.

Meanwhile, thousands of protesters have organized a noisy demonstration against the government's cuts program in Lewisham.

The demonstrations have been organized by Lewisham People Before Profit and Lewisham Anti-Cuts Alliance.

In Manchester, more than 500 people including families, students, and anti-cuts groups joined with local MP Gerald Kaufman in a protest against the Manchester council's decision to close a swimming pool as part of the government's plan to slash funding to public libraries, sport halls and Sure Trust centers.

In Middlesbrough, hundreds of people descended on the town center on Saturday to protest against the government's plan to cut funding to the Teesside.

This is while that researchers are warning that public spending cuts could spark a "brain drain" in the UK as graduates move elsewhere to get a job.

A study commissioned by the Work Foundation says graduate unemployment, which stands at 20 percent, was likely to rise as a direct result of the government's austerity measures.

This could see a "flight" of young graduates from areas such as the north of England, which are dependent on the public sector for jobs, warned the researchers working with the Work Foundation

Chants of revolution echo in Britain

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/162618.html

Thousands of protesters pour into the streets in London and Manchester, again, to shout their anger at the government's policies, with some clashing with police.

The National Union of Students (NUS) and Trade Unions Congress (TUC) joined forces in a protest against the increase in university tuition fees, spending and education cuts, and job losses, with a group chanting "Revolution, revolution", British media reported.

British students and trade unionists broke through police lines in central London and were chased by an enhanced number of police forces to the city center where officers later ''kettled'' a group of angry protesters and arrested six people.

In Manchester, general secretary of the UCU lecturers' union, Sally Hunt addressed the rally, saying that the government was actually at "war with young people" and "betraying" an entire generation.

She attacked the government for raising tuition fees in England to a new upper limit of £9,000 per year and for scrapping education maintenance allowances for college students.

In London, with banners such as "Still angry, still here," protesters sent the message that the campaign against higher fees and university spending cuts had not disappeared.

Saturday's rallies have been the latest in a series of demonstrations and occupations by students.

On the day MPs voted to raise tuition fees, there were angry scenes on the streets of London as thousands of students marched through the capital.

Violent clashes erupted between student protesters and police outside Parliament where police "kettled" them for hours and arrested dozens of people while several others were injured.

A large group of protesters in London left the main venue for the Egyptian embassy on Saturday where they expressed strong solidarity with the Egyptian people in their struggle for freedom and change.

One slogan being brandished in London drew an analogy between international events and the UK, declaring: "Ben Ali, Mubarak… Cameron, you are next."

The protesters were referring to Tunisia where people toppled president Ben Ali's government and to Egypt where people have been coming out in their thousands to demand that president Mubarak relax his grip on power and allow for a fundamental change in the Egyptian society.

100,000 British lost jobs in only 6 weeks

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161705.html


More than hundred thousands of public jobs have been cut only in the last month, which has brought fear to the people in queues of job centers.

Dave Prentis, the Unison general secretary, said: "This dossier of Con-demned jobs makes very grim reading. Behind every statistic there are families desperate to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table and the dignity of a decent job.

“With unemployment up to 2.5 million, the coalition's cuts are blighting lives and wrecking the country's chances of recovery. Sacking workers and closing down essential services will not put the economy back on its feet."

The cut jobs were among the Heart of England NHS Trust, council jobs in Hampshire and public jobs in East Sussex.

It is said that £20 billion NHS "efficiency savings" was gone into job losses.

There is also fear of NHS services to become low quality. The high rate of deaths at Mid Staffordshire Hospital Foundation Trust showed that the staffing ward had been of high importance.

Regarding the high record of youth unemployment, Prentis said: "Getting the right help can make or break the future of young people desperately trying to find their feet, as well as workers made redundant struggling to retrain."

He also asked the government to take an "alternative political vision to boost economic recovery" and that the bankers "who continue to rake in their bonuses" should be fined rather than ordinary people.

British jobless figures reach 2.5 million mark

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/160911.html


Britain's unemployment figures have increased by 49,000 to 2.5 million mark, setting a record for the number of jobless youths, new figures revealed.

Latest figures show that one in 5 people aged between 16 to 24 are now unemployed, British media reported.

The figures also indicate an increase of 32,000 in the number of jobless to 951,000 in the third quarter, which is the highest figure since records began in 1992.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a report that less people are being given a job, redundancies are mounting as well and the number of people classed as economically inactive has reached 9.3 million.

The ONS has calculated an unemployment rate of 20.3 percent for 16 to 24-year-olds in the country.

The inactivity rate is now 23.4 percent after an 89,000 increase in the number of people classed as economically inactive, including students, those looking after a sick relative and people who have given up looking for a job, the report said.

"These figures serve to underline the scale of the challenge we face. We inherited the largest budget deficit in peacetime history and high levels of joblessness, which we are determined to bring down by rebalancing the economy and supporting private sector jobs growth”, said Employment Minister Chris Grayling.

Dirty secret policing details revealed

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/160720.html


A former British undercover police officer has disclosed “grey and murky” details about secret policing including sexual entanglements with members of target groups.

Mark Kennedy, former Metropolitan Police officer who lived undercover among environmental activists for seven years said he was involved in “wrong” sexual relations with two women members of a radical environment group admitting at least 15 other agents had similar relations when posing as activists.

Kennedy told the Daily Mail he was ordered by the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU) to infiltrate radical environmental groups in 2003.

The 41-year-old who was married with two children, now faces questions over the relationships as he was, in fact, deceiving the women involved.

Kennedy claimed the atmosphere has been in a fashion that he and others were drawn into the relationships.

“I was offered sex repeatedly. And I was not the only undercover operator having a relationship but our handlers never asked,” he said.

He added the source of the problem is “the whole undercover police operation” where “there seems to be no guidelines, no rules - I was pretty much left to fend for myself.”

Kennedy, who escaped to the US after his cover was blown by green activists, has apparently hired private security guards over fears for his life.

Police seeks intelligence on UK protests

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/160647.html


Scotland Yard appears to be planning a major crackdown on students during an upcoming wave of protests as its counter-terrorism command has asked universities for related intelligence.

The force's counter-terrorism unit has contacted universities in London, demanding their cooperation before student leaders go ahead with their pledge to organize occupations and demonstrations targeting town halls and civic buildings.

An officer for the command's Prevent Programme charged with coping with extremism sent an email to universities saying the Met expects a “renewed vigor” in protests against government's spending cuts which could target finance departments.

"I would be grateful if in your capacity at your various colleges that should you pick up any relevant information that would be helpful to all of us to anticipate possible demonstrations or occupations, please forward it onto me," the email read.

According to a statement by the Met, the email sent to more than 20 higher education centers in London, including King's and Imperial College, “advises contacts to consider contingency planning to minimize disruption to colleges, and for information that could help anticipate and address possible occupations."

The statement claimed the officer has not acted in his capacity as a member of the Counter Terrorism Command when sending the advice to the universities.

Student leaders have promised major action plans for the end of January, which could equal in their scale to the massive anti tuition fee rallies in London and elsewhere last year which saw more than 50 universities' buildings occupied by students.

Co-founder of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts Michael Chessum, who was involved in calling last year's protests, said they are “determined to keep the pressure on the government.”

Chessum also said a number of major trade unions, including Unite and the GMB, have thrown their weight behind the planned rallies in Manchester and London at the end of this month adding, “we are again expecting tens of thousands of people.”

Activists are also planning an “education strike” in London three days before the coordinated action in Manchester and London on January 29.

Crisis looms over NHS as cuts bite

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/160010.html


The UK National Health Service (NHS) has plunged into a crisis after trusts slashed more than 3,000 jobs in the past week as part of the coalition government's crackdown on vital services.

Thousands of jobs at the health sector are to be cut to pave the way for the NHS to make some £20 billion "efficiency savings" by 2015, the daily Morning Star reported.

A report by campaign group Health Emergency has revealed that as many as 3,000 jobs have so far been axed by trusts, and King's College hospital in London is the latest to alert staff to impending redundancies.

The confirmed redundancies include 444 at Calderdale and Huddersfield Trust, 1,000 at United Lincolnshire, 350 at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh, 705 at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay, 350 at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole, and 450 at Coventry and Warwickshire.

Patients Association chief executive Katherine Murphy complained that the "astonishingly brutal" cuts to NHS services go way beyond redundancies.

Meanwhile, the Royal College of Nursing has stressed that cutting NHS jobs will endanger lives as nurses will have less time to care for patients.

"When major London reaching hospitals are talking openly about dire financial prospects and the axing of jobs you know that the NHS is locked into a genuine crisis”, said Health Emergency chairman Geoff Martin.

"Thousands of NHS jobs have already been axed and there is much worse to come”, said Martin.

"This cuts bombshell nails the lie that the NHS has been insulated from the Con-Dem cuts and proves without any doubt that 2011 will be a year of savage attacks on our health-care services", he added.

GMB union national officer for health Sharon Holder accused the government of telling the public one thing and doing another.

"No matter what the government is telling staff about protecting the NHS the reality is that the health service is suffering as a direct result of its so-called 'efficiency savings'," she said.

"Cutting staff will endanger patients and it proves that the NHS is not protected by the government's spending plans after all", added Sharon Holder.

British govt. tightens grip on Britons

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159487.html


The UK government is tightening grip on the British people in various aspects of their lives from economy to social liberties, education, health and security.

The government's policies including its austerity drive which covers each and every corners of the people's being, the rise in university tuition fees and cuts to higher education, police schemes to ban protests altogether, which is considered as a serious blow to the so-called democracy, imposing restrictions on how and who votes, again considered as depriving a person from its inalienable right as part of the nation's human rights, giving permission to police forces to sneak through people's life and the most humiliating of these the “control orders” which prompted an international cry and call for them to be abolished.

International human rights campaigners have unanimously condemned the British government for carrying out one of the “most serious violations” of natural injustice in any developed democracy by renewing the so-called control orders.

The 'control order' was produced by the UK Home Secretary to restrict an individual's liberty for the alleged purpose of “protecting members of the public from a risk of terrorism”.

The restrictions involved in control orders include what the person can use or process, his/her place of work, place of residence, whom he/she speaks to, and where he/she can travel.

Furthermore, the person can be ordered to surrender his passport, let the police visit his/her home at any time, report to officials at a specific time and place, and allow himself/herself to be electronically tagged so his movements can be tracked.

The British government, meanwhile, used a European court ruling as a pretext recently to ban prisoners who are serving long-term sentences from voting in the elections.

Prime Minister David Cameron has even said that he was willing to ban all prisoners from voting apart from what the European court has instructed.

The restrictions on the British begin here.

The UK politicians and diplomats have been selling the claim that their system is a democracy and they respect human rights as the core of humanity.

But, what's happening on the ground appears to be to the contrary. The UK was the scene of the most violent protests recently.

Tens of thousands of student protesters from universities, colleges and schools marched across the UK in protests against the huge hikes in tuition fees, together with the scrapping of Educational Maintenance Allowance and proposed cuts in college funding.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson referred to the level of violence in the protests, saying that he does not rule out banning all future protests across the country.

The Londoners are witnessing a police state in their doorsteps these days.

The government has beefed up security in and around the capital city. The security threat level for London's transport system including airports, train and subway stations, ports and roads has raised from substantial to severe, turning the city to a blockhouse rather than a secure place to live in freely.

The most humiliating of these measures, which are aimed at having control over the people at a time when they are angered by hard economic conditions, are police schemes to collect people's personal data.

According to reports, British police have been secretly collecting people's personal information whenever they contacted police to report a crime.

UK: Clegg warns of 'difficult' year ahead

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159492.html


British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says 2011 will be a “difficult” year for the country as government spending cuts start to take their toll.

Clegg told the BBC Radio 4 Today program that millions of Britons face “challenging circumstances” amid severe austerity measures which he insisted are necessary as an economic “repair job.”

"For the country as a whole, clearly this is the year when the savings that we have announced are going to start having an impact. That clearly will be difficult,” Clegg said.

"I think it will be a crucial year… of some very challenging circumstances for millions of people in this country, but I hope the beginning of a real turnaround as we move forward and as we successfully implement the repair job on the economy," he added.

He also touched on an increasingly dominant mood that Lib Dems betrayed their voters by going back on the key elements of their election pledges claiming his party is not fully accountable for going back on its commitments as they failed to secure enough votes in the election.

"I want to challenge this idea that we are not delivering on those ideas we put front and centre in our manifesto,” he said. “The fact is, we didn't win the election, we came third.”

Lib Dems' reversal on their election pledge to prevent any rise in university tuition fees sparked protests by tens of thousands of angry demonstrators, which analysts said, were the most serious challenge to the British establishment in decades.

Yet Clegg insisted that a Lib Dem coalition with Labour would have shot up tuition fees even higher than the current arrangements trying to justify the coalition government's decisions in the context of the economic woes.

"Whoever was in government would have to take very difficult decisions because Britain was genuinely standing, I think teetering, on the edge of a sovereign debt crisis," he said.