This will be the biggest fight of our political lives says Clegg

10.40.00pm GMT Fri 12th Mar 2010

Extracts from the speech are below:

This election is still wide open.

The people out there still haven’t made up their minds.

All bets are off.

This Government knows it’s come to the end of the road.

The Tories know people have started to see through them.

And voters know the Liberal Democrats offer something different.

They’ve seen us calling it right, taking a stand, putting principles back into politics…

And they believe us when we say:

Don’t waste this election.

Even if you feel hopeless after everything the other parties have put you through.

Don’t give up on change.

And don’t accept anything less than change that works for you.

But don’t think it’s going to be easy.

It’s going to be tough.

Tougher than anything we’ve ever done, because the closer we get the harder our opponents will fight to keep us down.

They’ll get nasty; they’ll get personal…

But when it’s really tough, thank your lucky stars you’re not a Labour activist… Desperately trying to keep a brave face on even though defeat is just round the corner.

Thank your lucky stars you’re not a Tory activist…

Certain for so long that victory would fall into your lap, only to discover now that the country’s not convinced.

But on Monday morning I want you to get out there and go for broke in what will be the biggest fight of our political lives.