Jo Swinson has hailed the success of the independence referendum and its high turnout in an opening speech to the Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow.

Ms Swinson, the Employment Relations Minister, spoke to activists as the five-day convention got under way at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.

She said: "It is great we got the right result and we are still seeing Scotland as part of the United Kingdom.

"We can take great heart from the positive turnout we saw, the engagement of people in this democratic process ... which saw 85% of people go out and actually cast their vote, including for the first time 16 and 17-year-olds.

"That sight of seeing young people leaving their secondary schools, the fifth and sixth years, and walking down the road to the polling stations after classes had finished - that was something I want to see at many future elections.

"When turnout is that high, practically everyone is going to vote, people were flocking to the polling stations.

"We now need to take that positive result and get on and deliver the extra powers that were promised during the campaign.

"I also think, Liberal Democrats, we need to take the opportunity and grasp it to also make sure that south of the border communities can benefit from additional powers coming to them."

Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg also arrived as Lib Dems gathered in Glasgow, and attacked his party's Coalition partners, declaring "compassionate conservatism is dead".

He will attempt to energise activists at a rally in the Scottish city tonight amid gloomy poll ratings, with some research putting the party's support as low as 6%.

The Conservatives were widely viewed to have stolen a march on the Liberal Democrats last week by pledging to increase the personal tax allowance to £12,500.

But Mr Clegg accused Chancellor George Osborne of balancing the "books on the backs of the poor".

He said: "I think George this week buried compassionate conservatism. I think what we saw this week was that compassionate conservatism is dead. You cannot say you are a compassionate Conservative if you say you will balance the books on the backs of the poor."

Mr Clegg said that after reaching £12,500, "our next step would be to align national insurance with the allowance, which is incredibly progressive".

He added: "You've got this tax - people don't call it tax but it is - big tax on national insurance, which hits people on low pay most, which is where we would want to go next."

The party will vote this weekend on manifesto plans to commit an extra £1 billion in real-terms funding to the NHS over two years.

Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the money - to be delivered between 2016 and 2018 - would be in addition to the existing ring-fenced commitment.

He also announced that extra investment for the health service would be the party's priority in the coalition negotiations running up to this year's Autumn Statement, scheduled for December 3.

The MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey said the £1 billion commitment would be funded from measures to limit tax relief on pension pots for high earners, by adjusting dividend tax for additional rate taxpayers to reflect recent cuts in corporation tax and ending the Conservative policy of shares for rights.

Mr Alexander described the NHS as the "jewel in our country's crown".

He said: "A comprehensive health service paid for by the taxpayer and delivered free at the point of need was a Liberal idea and is a central part of our vision of a stronger economy and a fairer society.

"We will raise this extra money from asking the better-off to contribute a little more in tax.

"This Liberal Democrat commitment is fully and fairly funded. It is in stark contrast to the Conservatives, who have explicitly stated they will target working people on lower incomes to carry the heaviest burden.

"Any Labour commitment on spending is fatally undermined by their deficit amnesia."

He admitted the challenge of sustaining the NHS was immense, but stressed it was one his party was committed to achieving.

Meanwhile, a poll of 735 party members for the website Liberal Democrat Voice showed 80% continue to support the coalition, but that two-thirds expect the party to slip below 40 MPs at the next election.

Mr Alexander said more details would be set out this week on where the extra funding would be spent in the NHS.

"We want to see mental health and other health problems being treated much more equally. We will be putting proposals this week in our pre-manifesto for how we do that.

"That's an area where additional resources will be needed. Likewise, we are seeing many, many more people living with long-term conditions. Those people need increasing support through the health systems as well as through the social care system.

"So, those are two areas where, with pressures growing in the years to come, some additional funds will be needed."

As Mr Clegg arrived at the conference centre in Glasgow he met Baroness Sal Brinton, former MEP Liz Lynne, Linda Jack and Daisy Cooper - the four candidates vying to succeed Tim Farron as party president.

Asked if he could turn round the party's fortunes before the general election, he replied: "Yes, of course we can."