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16 September 2011
Last updated at 19:15 ET
The Liberal Democrat autumn conference will begin later in Birmingham, with leader Nick Clegg vowing to highlight the party's achievements in government.
Delegates at the five-day event will vote on 15 policy motions on issues including welfare reform, adult social care, phone hacking and Lords reform.
The conference will end with a keynote speech by Mr Clegg on Wednesday.
The deputy PM told the BBC it had been "a really tough year", but his party would get "stronger in the future".
Since their last conference, the Lib Dems have suffered their worst English local elections for 30 years, losing nine councils and 747 councillors.
Mr Clegg has faced much personal criticism, but has also claimed his party is acting as "a moderating influence" on its coalition government partners, the Conservatives.
'Sworn enemies' At a conference rally on Saturday he will attempt to "highlight how Liberal Democrats in government are making Britain a fairer, greener and more liberal country".
He told the BBC those achievements included raising the income tax threshold, reforming the state pension and creating more apprenticeships.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
But he admitted: "Some people who used to support us don't now."
He added: "It's been a really tough year. We came into government in what were obviously controversial circumstances because we are governing with our sworn enemies the Conservative Party, and, even more controversially, we're having to make very, very difficult and in some cases downright unpopular decisions."
Asked about tough measures being taken to deal with the deficit, he said: "I don't like what I'm doing, I didn't go into politics to cut things.... [but] we're trying to do it as fairly and as sensibly as possible."
He said the government was "straining every sinew" to get the economy moving and would be making more announcements in the coming weeks, including on ways to speed up the building of new affordable homes.
About 8,000 delegates are expected to attend the conference at Birmingham's International Convention Centre where security will be much tighter than in previous years.
Some party members are so concerned at the stringent identity checks that a motion has been put forward for debate on the subject.
The conference will also include speeches from other Lib Dem cabinet ministers - Business Secretary Vince Cable, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and Scottish Secretary Michael Moore.
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Delegates at the five-day event will vote on 15 policy motions on issues including welfare reform, adult social care, phone hacking and Lords reform.
The conference will end with a keynote speech by Mr Clegg on Wednesday.
The deputy PM told the BBC it had been "a really tough year", but his party would get "stronger in the future".
Since their last conference, the Lib Dems have suffered their worst English local elections for 30 years, losing nine councils and 747 councillors.
Mr Clegg has faced much personal criticism, but has also claimed his party is acting as "a moderating influence" on its coalition government partners, the Conservatives.
'Sworn enemies' At a conference rally on Saturday he will attempt to "highlight how Liberal Democrats in government are making Britain a fairer, greener and more liberal country".
He told the BBC those achievements included raising the income tax threshold, reforming the state pension and creating more apprenticeships.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
I don't like what I'm doing”
End Quote
Nick Clegg
Lib Dem leader and Deputy Prime Minister
But he admitted: "Some people who used to support us don't now."
He added: "It's been a really tough year. We came into government in what were obviously controversial circumstances because we are governing with our sworn enemies the Conservative Party, and, even more controversially, we're having to make very, very difficult and in some cases downright unpopular decisions."
Asked about tough measures being taken to deal with the deficit, he said: "I don't like what I'm doing, I didn't go into politics to cut things.... [but] we're trying to do it as fairly and as sensibly as possible."
He said the government was "straining every sinew" to get the economy moving and would be making more announcements in the coming weeks, including on ways to speed up the building of new affordable homes.
About 8,000 delegates are expected to attend the conference at Birmingham's International Convention Centre where security will be much tighter than in previous years.
Some party members are so concerned at the stringent identity checks that a motion has been put forward for debate on the subject.
The conference will also include speeches from other Lib Dem cabinet ministers - Business Secretary Vince Cable, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and Scottish Secretary Michael Moore.
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