Nick Clegg is convinced The Liberal Democrats will succeed in next year’s general election. And the MP for Sheffield Hallam claims that will be good news for the young people of Herefordshire.

The party leader kindly answered some questions that I emailed him, and with the promise of a general election next year, it was of great interest to hear from him.

In a statement of intent to Labour and The Tories, Clegg says he is prepared to:

• Return power to the people

• Earn the support of the electorate

• Protect the environment

• Provide jobs for school and graduate leavers

• Clean up MP’s expenses

It was a passion for helping others that lead Nick Clegg into a career in politics.

“I wasn’t as in to student politics as much as some other politicians, but it was when I was young that I really developed a passion for human rights.” An historic event turned his attention in the direction of politics; “It was around the time I was studying anthropology at university that I became really interested in international politics – back when the Berlin Wall came down and suddenly the world looked like a very different place.”

The Liberal Democrat leader has vowed to return to a more open style of politics. After an extremely unpleasant year for British politics, distrust of politicians been so evident, therefore many voters will be relieved to hear Mr Clegg claim “I find the secretive and unaccountable way we do politics in this country extremely frustrating. Wanting to throw that open and hand power back to people is one of the main reasons I’m in the job.”

Like many angry Britons, Mr Clegg would like to see further reforms to the British political system, and even SACK badly behaved MPs.

The expenses scandal that shook Westminster could hardly have come at a worse time. When money and jobs scarce, it frustrated and angered many, who were aggrieved at the perceived misuse of tax payers’ money.

“The expenses scandal is just the tip of the iceberg,” claims Clegg. “It’s blown the lid off a whole range of problems with our outdated political system. Not only do we need radical reform to fix expenses, we also need give people the right to sack badly behaved MPs.”

“We need a proportional voting system so that votes are fair, along with measures to take big money out of politics. Liberals also believe in giving people as much say as possible over the decisions that affect them, which is why we’d take power away from Government so that people have more control over their lives and their communities.”

The current direction of The Lib Dems has been a source of great pride for Mr. Clegg.

“Very (pleased), but of course like any party leader I want us to keep building on our success. We're in power in major cities across the country, and with six million votes at the last general election we’re the biggest liberal party in Europe. We have fantastic local MPs, like Paul Keetch right here in Hereford, and at the local elections last month we pushed the Government into third place.”

And what does he feel has been the key factor in this new found success? “It’s because we stick to our principles that we’re always ahead of the curve on the big issues facing Britain, from warning about the risks of the overleveraged banking system, to giving Ghurkha veterans the right to live in Britain, to cleaning up MPs’ expenses.”

Many of the students at The Hereford Sixth Form College will have the opportunity to register their vote for the first time at the next general election. I asked Mr Clegg why we should vote for The Liberal Democrats.

“The Liberal Democrat party is a natural home for young people because our priorities are the same as yours - the best education for pupils from all backgrounds, protection for the environment, and jobs for graduates and school leavers.”

The Liberal Democrat leader has vowed to return to a more open style of politics. After an extremely unpleasant year for British politics, distrust of politicians been so evident, therefore many voters will be relieved to hear Mr Clegg claim “I find the secretive and unaccountable way we do politics in this country extremely frustrating. Wanting to throw that open and hand power back to people is one of the main reasons I’m in the job.”

In a positive message for students, The Lib Dem leader told me; “We think it's totally wrong to demonise young people by focusing on negative headlines when a minority get into trouble. It's much more important to support students and celebrate all the great things they achieve.”

I was grateful that Mr Clegg responded to my questions. Is this a good indication that Nick Clegg and his party have time for young people’s opinions, and are worthy of our vote in the next election? Or is it impossible to look past the continuation of a two party dominance in British politics? With a general election looming, all parties have much to prove in order to win our support.