PUPILS at Ivy Lane School dined with the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and his wife today as the Liberal Democrat leader launched his new free school meal plans.

Mr Clegg was in Chippenham with prospective parliamentary candidate Duncan Hames to launch the Liberal Democrat’s £610m-a-year plan for free school meals for all primary school children in England.

Education spending has been labelled a red line by Mr Clegg’s party during recent days with regards to any possible coalition after next week’s election.

The Liberal Democrat leader said that, in the battle between his party and the Conservatives in Chippenham, the choice for voters was clear.

He said: “In constituency like this here in Wiltshire where it’s a contest between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, the choice is crystal clear as far as education is concerned.

“A vote for Liberal Democrats is a vote for continued investment in schools to keep up with prices and to keep up with the number of extra children going into the school system.

“A vote for the Conservatives is a vote for draconian cuts which will lead to the loss of teachers and the closure of nurseries schools and colleges.”

Head teachers in Chippenham have already voiced concerns over the insufficient funding which could make maintaining their current level of provision difficult.

Mr Clegg said: “I share a lot of the concerns that a lot of head teachers have expressed around the country about the prospect of huge funding cuts to our secondary schools, primary schools, nurseries and colleges under the Conservatives plan.

“The Conservatives have been quite open about it they will take the equivalent of £5bn out of our education system every year compared to Lib Dem plans by the end of the next parliament.”

After arriving at the school, meeting teachers and pupils, Mr Clegg, his wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez and Duncan Hames visited the kitchens to help make a fruit crumble dessert before joining the pupils to eating their hot school dinner.

Mr Clegg said he felt the guarantees the Liberal Democrats were offering was what people wanted due to confusion over possible coalitions after May 7.

He said: “I think we are being really open, that if Liberal Democrats enter into government, nurseries, schools and colleges will be protected from the cuts that the Conservatives and the Labour parties are planning to impose on education.

“It’s very simple if we don’t get those red lines we will not enter into that government it’s a very straight forward guarantee and I think it’s what people want.”

  • Nick Clegg remains in the tightest of races to hold his Commons seat, fresh polling has suggested.

The Liberal Democrat leader is one point behind his Labour challenger in Sheffield Hallam, according to a survey from Lord Ashcroft. The former Tory peer found a slight narrowing of the gap from his last poll in the constituency in March, finding Labour candidate Oliver Coppard on 37%, up one point, and Mr Clegg on 36%, up two.

The Conservatives trailed on 15%, down one, while Ukip held steady on 7%.

Mr Clegg is defending a huge majority of more than 15,000 votes and should be considered to hold one of the safest seats in the country. 

Speaking to reporters on his campaign battle bus Mr Clegg insisted internal polling carried out by the Lib Dems showed him "firmly ahead".

Mr Clegg, who has not seen the details of the poll, said: "Our own polling shows that we are firmly ahead."

He added that Lord Ashcroft's polls did not identify the candidates by name.

"Just call me old-fashioned, but if you are going to try to work out how people are going to vote, ask them the question they are actually going to be asked on polling day," he said.