Election 2015: Lib Dems preparing to revolt against leader Nick Clegg over second Tory coalition

Trouble brewing for Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who is said to be facing huge resistance from within his own party if he tries to push through a second coalition deal with the Conservatives.

Senior figures in the party told The Times that they would consider voting down a Conservative Queen's Speech to remove Prime Minister David Cameron from office, while one leading Lib Dem demanded a ­veto over every Tory budget as a price for joining a second coalition.

"A coalition is a coalition and the ­Tories would have to give ongoing consent for what's happening," one of the senior figures said. "This would include every budget, every spending review."

Another Lib Dem said: "There are many in the party who would, in many ways, be happy to sit the next parliament out, repolish our Liberal message, and see others make a mess of government. We could then focus on rebuilding our local government base, and membership."

One senior Lib Dem rejected the idea of working with the Tories, asking: "If we get back with 25 MPs, why would you want to sign up to a government which is going to push through all those cuts and an EU referendum — in ­exchange for what exactly?"

And a normally loyal mainstream Lib Dem told the paper: "I'm giving myself room not to support a government if I don't approve of it, and if I'm doing that, you can bet others are doing the same." Another added: "If I needed to defy instructions, I would."

A third veteran said: "If it requires the DUP [Nrthern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party] it's a no-no."