Gove says Clegg 'showing some leg' to Lib Dems over childcare

Michael Gove appears on The Andrew Marr Show - Lib Dems said he was simply trying to divert attention from his own Tory leadership ambitions and his party's deep divisions over Europe. Photograph: BBC/Getty Images

Nick Clegg has been accused by Michael Gove of opposing childcare reforms purely in an effort to strengthen his position as Liberal Democrat leader, following mounting dissent within his party.

In a mischievous attack on the deputy prime minister on Sunday, the education secretary said Clegg "has to show a bit of leg" because the Lib Dem peer Lord Oakeshott was leading an effort to replace him with Vince Cable.

Lib Dems countered with claims that Gove's attack has more to do with his own leadership ambitions and a need to distract from Tory divisions over Europe.

The row follows Clegg's criticism last week of plans to loosen staff-to-child ratios in nurseries – part of a package of nursery reforms championed by the education minister, Liz Truss.

Truss has argued that the changes would lower childcare costs and allow professionals in the sector to be paid more. But Clegg said he still shared concerns expressed by many groups in a consultation exercise and questioned claims that the policy would result in cheaper childcare for parents.

Gove told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show: "I don't think we can understand Nick Clegg's position without also appreciating the position he is in because of internal Lib Dem politics.

"There is a campaign being led by Matthew Oakeshott, this Liberal Democrat in the Lords, to try to destabilise Nick Clegg because Matthew Oakeshott wants Vince Cable to succeed him. Nick, understandably, needs to show Lib Dems that he is fighting hard.

"I understand. That's one of the things that happen in coalition. We have had discussions with Nick in the past where we haven't always had the same starting position but in the end, because he is a reasonable guy, we have managed to find an appropriate synthesis.

"I think he would appreciate that the logic of what Liz wants to achieve is formidable. Of course, if there needs to be an adjustment here or there in order to make sure that it works for everyone. We will consider that.

"Lord Oakeshott is on manoeuvres, he is trying to promote Vince. It is understandable that within the Lib Dems these things go on. Nick has to show a bit of leg, as it were, on these issues."

Ministers set out the plans to bring down Britain's high nursery costs in January after months of wrangling between the coalition parties. They were described as a way of boosting the economy by allowing more parents to work.

The changes, due to come into force in September, would see the rules altered to allow one adult to care for four under-ones rather than the present limit of three. The ratio for two-year-olds would rise from four per adult to six. Asked last week during his phone-in show on LBC 97.3 if the prime minister was aware of his concerns, Clegg said: "We have been talking about this for weeks and weeks."

Truss has argued that the changes would lower childcare costs and allow professionals in the sector to be paid higher salaries. Clegg said looking after four two-year-olds was "already quite a handful".

The Conservative defence secretary, Philip Hammond, also joined the speculation, telling BBC1's Sunday Politics: "We're obviously not privy to the internal workings of the Liberal Democrat leadership. But Vince Cable has always been ambitious and he has always carved out a slightly distinctive position for himself."

A source close to Clegg said Gove's comments need to be viewed in the context of a Conservative party in turmoil. "We appreciate that Michael has ambitions of his own and is keen to distract attention from his party's divisions on Europe. But he knows our concerns are based on the overwhelmingly negative response from experts and parents to the government's consultation," the source said.

A source close to Vince Cable said: "It seems clear from this morning that the only person with leadership ambitions is Michael Gove.

"This is clearly an attempt by the Tories to deflect the attention from the fact they're in complete turmoil over Europe."

Oakeshott, a close ally of Cable who in the past has suggested the party should consider ditching Clegg as leader, insisted there was no plot. "Gove tries diversion from Cons Europe split with old news," he posted on Twitter. "I prefer Cable to Clegg, shock! But there's no plot – members decide who leads us."

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Nick Clegg blocks Tory attempt to relax childcare standards

Nick Clegg says: 'I cannot ask parents to accept such a controversial change with no real guarantee it will save them money'. Photograph: /Reuters

Coalition relations will reach a new low on Thursday when Nick Clegg announces that he is to kill off plans to relax child-to-staff ratios for childcare in England.

Clegg said he had decided to block the plans by the Conservative children's minister, Liz Truss, because an extensive consultation had shown that her two key aims would fail. Relaxing child-to-staff ratios would not necessarily drive down the costs of childcare – and might even increase them – and would not necessarily improve standards, he said.

In a sign of how coalition policymaking has descended into hand-to-hand combat between the Tories and the Liberal Democrats, Downing Street appeared to be caught off guard by the Clegg announcement.

A No 10 source said the government's planned childcare policy had not yet been agreed and would be announced shortly. "It is a bit premature to brief before the final package has been agreed," one senior Tory source said of the Clegg move. "It is not really the way to behave."

The deputy prime minister, who briefed childcare providers on Wednesday that he had killed off the Truss blueprint, remained unbowed and issued a statement saying that her plans failed to stack up.

Clegg said: "I cannot ask parents to accept such a controversial change with no real guarantee it will save them money – in fact it could cost them more."

The intervention by Clegg, who spoke to David Cameron on Monday about childcare, was seen in No 10 as one of his most hostile acts since he killed off Tory plans last summer to shrink the size of the Commons after Tory MPs sank his plans to reform the House of Lords.

Truss proposed to allow childminders to increase the number of under-ones they can look after from three to four. This would increase from four to six for children over the age of two. The rules for three-year-olds would remain the same – eight or 13 children per adult depending on whether a graduate was present.

But Clegg said Truss's calculations were flawed because they were based on "unrealistic occupancy and opening times" – that childcare operators would fill 100% of their places and be full all year round.

He also pointed out that most of the savings identified by Truss were based on providers using current freedoms which are mainly unused at the moment.

Downing Street hit back at Clegg. A No 10 source said: "The prime minister remains committed to helping families with the cost of living, which includes reducing the cost of childcare.

"The final package of childcare measures, which will seek to reduce childcare costs and make it easier to set up childcare in schools, has not yet been agreed but will be announced shortly."

The latest move by the deputy prime minister was also being seen as revenge after Downing Street responded to the weekend parliamentary sleaze allegations by announcing that Clegg's plans to reform lobbyists would involve new restrictions on trade union funding.In a breach of ministerial collective responsibility, Clegg released a briefing note that endorsed a quote from the Pre-school Learning Alliance which accused the education department of cynicism and of producing a "work of fiction".

Clegg said: "The proposals to increase ratios were put out to consultation and were roundly criticised by parents, providers and experts alike. Most importantly, there is no real evidence that increasing ratios will reduce the cost of childcare for families.

"The argument that this will help families with their weekly childcare bill simply does not stack up. I cannot ask parents to accept such a controversial change with no real guarantee it will save them money – in fact it could cost them more."

Lib Dem sources denied that Clegg was embarking on a tit-for-tat revenge amid worsening coalition relations. They said that the deputy prime minister, who regards child care as one of the coalition's main priorities, simply believes the Truss plan will fail to achieve its stated goals.

Truss proposed to allow child minders to increase the number of under-ones they can look after from three to four. This would increase from four to six for children over the age of two. The rules for three-year-olds would remain the same – eight or 13 children per adult depending on whether a graduate was present.

Clegg said Truss's calculations were flawed because they were based on "unrealistic occupancy and opening times" – that child care operators would fill 100% of their places and be full all year round. He also pointed out that most of the savings identified by Truss were based on providers using current freedoms which are mainly unused at the moment.

The deputy prime minister, who was furious with Truss for publicising their private disagreement, also sanctioned a rare briefing on their internal discussions. His office published emails with Truss's private secretary who agreed that the final policy would be agreed by the cabinet's home affairs committee, chaired by Clegg, after the consultation. Truss had accused Clegg of reneging on an agreement to accept her policy. Lib Dem sources said that when Clegg asked Truss to have a rethink last month she simply wrote a letter to all the relevant ministers reiterating her plans.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance whose criticisms of Truss were cited by Clegg, said: "We are absolutely delighted that the deputy prime minister has intervened and listened to the concerns and evidence gathered by the sector, parents and early years experts which dismantled the arguments for taking forward this ill-advised plan."

Justine Roberts, chief executive of the Mumsnet website who had called for a rethink, said: "Mumsnet users will be mightily relieved to hear that the proposed changes to childcare ratios are to be scrapped. Parents were unconvinced that the suggested changes would lead to lower childcare costs but did believe that the quality of care would be adversely affected. Put simply four babies under one or six under twos is a lot for even the most experienced childcare worker to manage."

Coalition tensions will be worsened on another front today when Tory sources make clear they will ensure that local communities will effectively be able to block new onshore windfarms.

Ed Davey, the Lib Dem climate change secretary, will say that a new package of measures will offer incentives to local communities to encourage them to accept wind farms. But the Tories are making clear that new planning rules will give communities greater clout in blocking them.

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