Clegg’s LibDems routed in “cruel and punishing” UK election

(Bloomberg) — The U.K. Liberal Democrats suffered what their leader Nick Clegg called a "cruel and punishing" election rout as they paid the price for joining Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives in coalition five years ago.

Business Secretary Vince Cable was the party's biggest casualty. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and Energy Secretary Ed Davey also lost their seats along with Simon Hughes, a former deputy party leader. Former leader Charles Kennedy was also defeated.

"It is now painfully clear that this has been a cruel and punishing night for the Liberal Democrats," Clegg said after retaining his seat in Sheffield, northern England. Clegg said he will comment later on Friday on his leadership of the party.

Cameron's failure to win a majority for his Conservative Party in 2010 presented a historic opportunity for the Liberal Democrats to join a coalition government. While Clegg seized that, becoming deputy prime minister, he sought to distance the party from his coalition partners during the campaign.

"We knew that going into coalition would probably hurt us and that we would lose some valued colleagues," Davey said in an interview with Sky News. In government, "we've had to take some tough decisions and we may well be being punished for taking those tough decisions, but we won't regret that."

Cameron's Conservatives are set to keep power, an exit poll and BBC projections showed.

The exit poll showed the Liberal Democrats winning 10 seats, compared with 57 seats at the last election. That result five years ago took them into government for the first time since World War II, after a campaign marked by what became known as "Cleggmania."

Five years later, Clegg was roundly booed in Sheffield, even as he won his seat. He was heckled during his winner's speech.