David Cameron has used a television interview to insist that
Nick Clegg will play a key role in the cabinet.
The Con-Lib coalition deal which put Mr Cameron in No. 10 and allowed Mr Clegg to become deputy prime minister has come in for increasing criticism this weekend.
However, the new prime minister remains convinced the agreement will lead to a strong government, with Mr Clegg playing a leading role.
He told BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show that the Lib Dem leader would be part of his “inner core” and would be involved in major decisions.
“When it comes to government appointments and, if I can put it this way, disappointments, of course that is the prime minister’s job. But this is going to be something that we try and do together,” he explained.
Mr Cameron added that his visit to the Scottish Parliament with new Scotland secretary Danny Alexander, a Lib Dem, showed how responsibility could be shared and the two parties could work together.
Mr Clegg’s role in making the coalition is expected to come under intense scrutiny at a special Lib Dem conference on Sunday.
Some Lib Dem activists are unhappy about the party’s decision to work with their political enemies and are expected to give Mr Clegg a thorough grilling.
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