Michael Dugher MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, responding to reports that the Liberal Democrats have set up a negotiating team to prepare for coalition talks after the next election, said:

“This shows how completely arrogant, delusional and out of touch the Lib Dems are.

"The Lib Dems have a new rallying cry: go back to your constituencies and prepare to break your promises.

"Having broken their promises on things like tuition fees and VAT, and in continuing to prop up David Cameron on issues like the millionaires’ tax cut and the bedroom tax, the Lib Dems have nailed their colours firmly to the Tory mast.

"Now things are going badly wrong as families face a massive cost-of-living crisis, the Lib Dems have set up a team measuring up the curtains in Downing Street for after 2015.

"This is a self-serving committee for more horse-trading, squabbling and broken promises.

"The only people who will decide the outcome of the next election will be the British people and they know the truth about Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems: you can’t trust a word they say.”