Not so 'distasteful' now? Memoir reveals Nick Clegg blabbed about private conversations with #Queen

A NEW book by a former Lib Dem minister reveals Nick Clegg blabbed about a private conservation with the Queen – despite calling the idea “distasteful” last week.

The memoirs by David Laws show the ex-Deputy Prime Minister was more than happy to divulge the contents of a discussion between the pair, where her Majesty joked about her own death.

It leaves Mr Clegg open to claims of hypocrisy after his response to The Sun’s reporting of an alleged bust-up between him and the Queen over Europe.

The monarch reportedly let rip at the ex-Liberal Democrat leader during a lunch at Windsor castle, saying the EU was heading in the wrong direction.

But the passionate pro-European refused to discuss what really happened, saying he found it “rather distasteful to reveal conversations with the Queen”.


Today’s Mail on Sunday contains an extract from ‘Coalition: The Inside Story Of The Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government’, which proves that is not true.

The book has precise details of a private conversation between the pair in 2012, when Mr Clegg went to Buckingham Palace for one of his regular audiences with her majesty.

Mr Laws writes the Deputy Prime Minister told the Queen about legislating to change the rules on the Royal succession.

Clegg reportedly said: “I hope this change does not cause difficulties, Ma’am?”

To which the Queen replied: “Good grief, Mr Clegg. By then, I’ll be dead!”

The book by Mr Laws, who was Schools Minister in the Coalition, also reveals tensions between David Cameron and Boris Johnson.

The former MP, who lost his seat in last May’s election, alleges the Prime Minister is ‘petrified’ of the London Mayor.

He is alleged to have said during a Coalition crisis: “The only person this will help is Boris Johnson, who is clearly after my job.”

The book also contains allegations the PM thinks fellow EU rebel Michael Gove is a Maoist who’s gone ‘a bit nuts’.

Mr Laws writes that Cameron told colleagues the Justice Secretary was driving him around the bend, and that he “wants to be the darling of the Tory Right”.

But George Osborne has said this morning he doesn’t recognise the claims made in the book.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, the Chancellor joked that he had worked very hard to make sure former Lib Dem ministers were now reduced to writing memoirs rather than governing.