Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has confirmed he will be running for Parliament at the next General Election, and is confident he will remain leader of the Liberal Democrats.

When asked about his future while touring Penwith College, in Penzance in Cornwall, Mr Clegg said: "I will be MP for Sheffield Hallam and leader of the Liberal Democrats."

He also described the LibDems as the only party making pledges on building both a robust economy and a "fairer society" – something he said his party's coalition partners and the opposition lacked.

Asked if he intended to stand for re-election as an MP, Mr Clegg said: "Of course I am."

He added: "I can't predict the outcome of the next General Election. I think that the Liberal Democrats now are the only party offering two things: firstly, a commitment to building a stronger economy; and doing that in a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life.

"I think everybody now accepts you cannot rely on the Labour party to sort out the economy and we have a demonstrably greater commitment to fairness in society than the Conservatives.

"I think there are many people, in Cornwall and elsewhere, who want to see both of those things delivered."