Mr Clegg said he would not "condemn" UK forces to failure

The Liberal Democrats could stop supporting the UK's military presence in Afghanistan unless strategy is changed, leader Nick Clegg said.

He told BBC One's Politics show he wanted the mission to succeed but the present course was "almost certainly condemned to failure"".

Mr Clegg also said his party's backing for the war was not "unconditional".

The comments come after Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged to send another 500 troops to Afghanistan.

There are currently about 9,000 UK military personnel in the country, while some 221 have been killed there since 2001.

'Heads held high'

The US government is debating a request for 40,000 more troops in Afghanistan.

Mr Clegg said: "Clearly no support that any political party gives for a conflict, for a war, is unconditional."

He also said: "The present strategy is failing so it needs to be changed and the discussions which are taking place in Washington at the moment are immensely important in working out whether we have got a strategy which will succeed.

"If that strategy, if that new strategy is, in our judgement, the wrong strategy, which will condemn our soldiers to failure, then of course we will revisit our support, of course."

He told Politics Show: "I think if we carry on, on the present course, we are almost certainly condemned to failure. I want us to succeed in Afghanistan."

"I want - when our servicemen and servicewoman leave Afghanistan - I want them to leave with their heads held high, feeling they've done a good job, a successful job, done what we're asking them to do not with a tail between their legs."

The SNP said Alex Salmond had the right to be included as a party leader

The SNP may take legal action if Alex Salmond is not allowed to take part in a UK party leader TV debate ahead of the next General Election.

The BBC, ITV and BSkyB jointly proposed three live debates between the Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat leaders.

SNP Finance Secretary John Swinney said going to court was not being ruled out, but said it was more preferable to come to an agreement with the broadcasters.

Opposition parties accused the SNP of bullying tactics.

Tory leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg have welcomed a TV debate, while Gordon Brown has now said he was willing "in principle" to take part.

Mr Cameron has told the BBC he wants a respected independent figure to oversee the negotiations for the TV debates.

'Depriving voters'

But the SNP has threatened to seek to block the screening in Scotland of any debate which did not include Scottish First Minister Mr Salmond.

Mr Swinney told BBC Scotland's Politics show the SNP was the party of government at Holyrood, adding that the UK debates would discuss issues of importance to Scotland, such as the future of nuclear submarines on the Clyde.

Mr Swinney said the SNP was prepared to be flexible, saying of the current arrangements: "It deprives the voters in Scotland of hearing the breadth of political choice that quite clearly exists here in Scotland about the input of Scotland into the UK General Election."

Current plans would see the three main UK party leaders take part

On the issue of legal action, he added: "That might be a possibility, but, long before we get to that judgement, we have to have full and open discussions with the broadcasters about the arrangements that can be put in place."

Also speaking on the programme, shadow Scottish secretary David Mundell said it was not appropriate for Mr Salmond to take part in a debate about who should be the prime minister of Britain.

Labour described the SNP's option of going to court as a "sinister threat", and claimed, along with the Liberal Democrats, the Nationalists were attempting to bully broadcasters.

The broadcasters have said they would each seek "to make suitable arrangements for ensuring due impartiality across the UK", but have not yet explained how that would be achieved.

The Lib Dem leader was bidding to reassert his authority after a bruising week - and reach out to disaffected Labour voters thinking of voting Tory.

In his speech he urged voters not to sleepwalk into a Tory government and opt for "real change" instead.

The Lib Dems say their private polling shows the next election is "wide open".

Mr Clegg spoke without notes for just under 50 minutes - and his speech was greeted with a standing ovation from delegates in the Bournemouth centre, which included wife Miriam and former party leaders Lord Ashdown and Sir Menzies Campbell in the front row.

Labour 'dying'

The speech was also watched by a group of Gurkhas, who received a round of applause after Mr Clegg said he was "honoured" they could be present.

I want to be prime minister because I have spent half my lifetime imagining a better society Nick Clegg, Lib Dem leader As it happened: Clegg speech Send us your comments Analysis: Clegg's proposal to voters

Mr Clegg deliberately chose not to talk about what might happen in the event of a hung Parliament, focusing instead on what a Liberal Democrat government would do.

He stressed the party's commitment to fairer taxation and vowed to "clean up" Westminster politics including MPs' expenses.

And he said young people were his party's top priority - and proposed a 90 day job or training guarantee for the young unemployed, paid for by scrapping Labour's VAT cut.

He said: "Labour is dying on its feet. We are replacing them as the dominant force of progressive politics. We are the alternative to a hollow Conservative Party that offers just an illusion of change."

'Mansion tax'

He began the speech by hardening his line on Afghanistan - saying there was "one more chance to turn things around".

"I know some of you believe we should call for British troops to withdraw now," he told delegates.

"If things continue on the present disastrous course, then sooner or later that is a judgement which we may need to make."

But there was no mention of dropping a pledge to scrap university tuition fees from the next manifesto - a suggestion which sparked open warfare in the party at the start of the week.

He briefly mentioned Vince Cable's £1m "mansion tax" in a section on rebalancing the tax system so that the wealthy pay more.

The 0.5% levy on owners of £1m-plus homes sparked a backlash from some of the party's senior MPs earlier in the week, prompting an admission from the Treasury spokesman that he could have consulted more widely before announcing it.

'Progressive austerity'

Mr Clegg also addressed criticism from former leader Charles Kennedy, who said the party was in danger of losing its "heart" with Mr Clegg's talk of the need for "savage" spending cuts to tackle Britain's record debts.

Unlike Labour and the Tories, the Lib Dems had "come clean" about what cuts were needed and were guided by principles of "fairness", he said.

"Not just austerity, but progressive austerity. Reducing the deficit, yes, but also building a fair society and a green economy.

LIB DEM CONFERENCE TWEETS Twitter: @BBCLauraK That's it from Bournemouth - conference set being broken up at great speed! More from Labour in Brighton from Saturday #ldconf 14 minutes ago Some activists say Clegg 'exhilarating' -some unimpressed-leaving conference not clear what they'll be able to punt on the doorstep #ldconf 51 minutes ago Evan Harris,sometime Clegg critic,says speech was 'great not good' #ldconf About 1 hour ago Audience seem quite happy but loudest applause was for Iraq-more confident than last year-hugging gurkhas now About 1 hour ago Clegg's eldest son has already written to Santa-but not many goodies so far for activists in speech-they like tax plans though #ldconf About 1 hour ago What is this?

"Still driven by generosity of spirit, but fit for the circumstances of the day. It's the only way to deliver real change in Britain."

He spoke at length about what Britain would be like if the Lib Dems were in power, in what aides described beforehand as the most ambitious speech ever given by a leader of their party.

"I want to be prime minister because I have spent half my lifetime imagining a better society. And I want to spend the next half making it happen," he told the party faithful.

Mr Clegg ended by delivering a message to voters who do not usually vote Lib Dem or have given up voting altogether, telling them: "Don't stay at home, don't vote Conservative just because you think it's the only option."

He said: "If you supported Labour in 1997 because you wanted fairness, you wanted young people to flourish, you wanted political reform, you wanted the environment protected, or you simply believed in a better future, turn to the Liberal Democrats.

"I know there are people who agree with a lot of what we've got to say, but who still don't vote Liberal Democrat. You don't think we're contenders. I urge you to think again."

Mr Clegg's predecessor as party leader Sir Menzies Campbell hailed the speech as "an extremely impressive performance" which showed Mr Clegg was "ambitious for the party and the country".

He said the speech was "uncompromising" in spelling out the difficult decisions that needed to be taken and it showed Mr Clegg was "leading from the front". He compared Mr Clegg's call for change to US President Barack Obama's message.

But Conservative Party chairman Eric Pickles, giving his reaction to the speech, said:"Nick Clegg says he wants to be prime minister but I listened to his speech and still can't discover a reason for voters to choose him over David Cameron.

"After this muddled conference, it's now clearer than ever that if you want to get rid of Gordon Brown and his big brother state, and if you care about our schools, our quality of life and our liberties, you need to vote Conservative for a progressive, liberal government."

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has set out plans to "cut the cost of politics" by nearly £2bn.

His plans include closing 10 government departments and 90 quangos, axing spin doctors and no longer paying Opposition leader's wages out of the public purse.

Speaking on the second day of his party's conference, Mr Clegg said: "Central government in Whitehall is too big, too powerful and too expensive."

The £2bn savings would be enough to renovate 200 schools a year, he said.

Cutting the cost of politics is one of the key themes of Tory leader David Cameron who has said he would cut ministerial salaries and reduce the number of MPs, as well as slashing quangos.

Labour has also vowed to squeeze Whitehall spending.

Mr Clegg is using what will be his party's final conference before a general election to emphasise the need for what he has called "savage" public spending cuts - although he toned this down to "serious" cuts in a speech to party activists on Saturday evening.

Spin doctors

He risked the wrath of his party's left wing in the speech by saying he may be forced to drop its long-standing commitment to free university tuition.

But his proposals to cut the cost of politics are likely to go down better with the party faithful.

Mr Clegg says he would freeze ministers' salaries and cut the number of them on the government payroll from more than 100 to 73.

He would also halve the number of departmental spin doctors.

He told BBC News: "We could save billions by scrapping entire government departments and culling quangos.

"Doing politics differently and saving money means dismantling Labour's spin machine by halving the number of government press officers and making political parties pay for their own special advisers.

"The nearly £2bn savings in our proposals could be invested in public services and would be enough to renovate 200 schools every year."

Pay cap

The Liberal Democrats went into the 2005 election promising to close eight government departments, including what was then the Department of Trade and Industry, but the latest proposals go slightly further.

Mr Clegg says he wants to cut the number of government departments from 24 to 14.

He also published a list of quangos he wants to see culled.

These include regional development agencies - a long-standing policy commitment - but also less well-known bodies such as the School Food Trust, Teachers TV, the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the Covent Garden Market Authority.

The document also proposes a reduction in the budget of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency.

Health spokesman Norman Lamb will also call for quango chiefs' pay to be capped at the same rate as the prime minister's.

In a keynote conference speech he will promise to cut the size of the Department of Health by half and to scrap strategic health authorities.

The party says it would save £500m by reducing health quangos.

Mr Lamb will claim health quangos alone now cost around £1.2bn a year and employ 25,000 people - and that 24 of their chief executives are paid more than Gordon Brown.

Mr Lamb wants to give ward sisters more control over their budgets and greater responsibility for the staff who work with them.

He will also propose recruiting 3,000 more midwives and health visitors to tackle the current shortfall.

Caroline Lucas is aiming to become the Green's first MP

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has accused the government of a "political crime" in failing to properly address the issues of climate change.

At her party's conference in Brighton, she said plans to expand Heathrow Airport and for a new generation of coal-fired power stations must end.

She also called for reform of party funding, the voting system and of the House of Lords.

Ms Lucas, one of two British Green MEPs, hopes to become a Westminster MP.

She will stand in the Brighton Pavilion constituency at the general election - where the Greens took 22% of the vote in 2005.

'Politics with passion'

The party was "up to the task" of the "formidable challenges" it faced to get its first MPs at the election - expected next spring - she said in her speech.

It could offer an agenda-setting "politics with a passion", she said and voters had a choice between continuing with "growing inequality and cynicism as drift towards environmental catastrophe" which offered a "politics built on fairness".

Our government's inaction is nothing less than a political crime Caroline Lucas Green Party

The Greens have 123 councillors and two London Assembly members and gained 8.7% of the vote in Britain in June's European elections, up from 6.2% in 2004.

The party says the fact it polled 1.3m votes in the June election shows it can win support, even during a recession when environmental issues can slip down the political agenda.

In her speech she said the "current level of ambition" on tackling climate change would not deliver the scale of emission cuts needed, nor sufficient financial resources to help poorer countries adjust.

She called for "an end to airport expansion, to plans for a fleet of new coal-fired power stations".

"We demand massive investment in energy efficiency, renewable energies, public transport, green jobs.

"And we demand that when the government signs up to new emissions targets, that they are honest about it, that they undertake domestic cuts here at home, not try to outsource it or offset it in poorer countries."

She praised grassroots protests but said that had to be matched by political leadership.

The mainstream parties "pretended that they have the problem under control" through measures like low energy light bulbs and loft insulation, she said but actually thought major change would involve too much "sacrifice".

But she argued that moving to a "post-carbon world" could create jobs, an equal society and a way of life "with the potential to be far more fulfilling than the turbo-charged consumerism which is being peddled by other politicians today."

"That's why we say our government's inaction is nothing less than a political crime."

Ms Lucas also said the Greens had warned of the "lethal cocktail" of liberalisation and deregulation before the recession and had "sounded the alarm" about the housing market, privatisation of health and education and about hedge funds.

All army personnel were awarded a 2.8% increase this year

The junior ranks of the armed forces should get an immediate £6,000 pay rise to help boost morale, the Lib Dems say.

It was "shameful" that many privates on their first tour of duty earned less than police constables and junior firefighters, leader Nick Clegg said.

He said the move, costing about £300m, could be part funded by cutting 10,000 "desk" jobs at the Ministry of Defence.

Ministers said pay deals for the armed forces had been among the best in the public sector in the past three years.

All military personnel were awarded a 2.8% pay rise earlier this year after the government accepted the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body.

As a result, the basic pay of a private on operations rose to between £16,681 and £25,887.

'Dissatisfaction'

But opposition parties have continued to press for higher pay and better accommodation to reflect the armed forces continuous involvement in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.

The Lib Dems said there was "widespread dissatisfaction" about pay levels among the lowest ranks at a time when young men and women were being asked daily to put their lives on the line.

We can't continue to reward the bravery of lions with peanuts Nick Clegg, Lib Dem leader

They are proposing a £6,000 increase in basic pay for entry-level privates in the Army and their equivalents in the other services.

This, they claim, would lift the annual salary of the lowest-paid privates from £16,681 to £22,680.

They are also calling for longer-serving privates and lance corporals to get a £3,000 rise, which would take their average annual pay up to about £25,000.

Corporals, sergeants and higher NCO ranks should get a £1,000 increase, equivalent to an extra £20 a week.

Mr Clegg said poor pay levels were having a "dreadful impact" on morale in the armed forces.

Job savings

"Nobody can put a price on the sacrifices our troops make on our behalf but it is clear to everyone that pay levels are shamefully low for the lower ranks," he said.

"We can't continue to reward the bravery of lions with peanuts. The Liberal Democrats will ensure that no soldier, sailor or airman goes into harm's way on less basic pay than a new recruit to the police or fire service."

The salary increases can be paid for from within the Ministry of Defence's existing budget, the party argues.

The estimated £300m required to fund the move should come from savings at the MoD, primarily from job cuts.

The Lib Dems said it was "ridiculous" that the MoD employed two "desk-based" employees for every one serving member of personnel and the department could make do with 10,000 fewer civilian employees it deems "non-essential".

Mr Clegg is getting ready for the election, expected next May

The Lib Dems' former media chief Jonny Oates is returning to the party to help it prepare for the general election.

He will lead the communications team, John Sharkey will chair the campaign with MP Andrew Stunnell as vice chair.

Leader Nick Clegg announced a shake-up of his election team earlier - the party's usual elections chief, Lord Rennard is stepping down.

Mr Oates joined the party in 2007, only to return to his old employer, Bell Pottinger public affairs last year.

Mr Sharkey, who was brought in by Mr Clegg as a communications adviser last year, is a former managing director of Saatchi and Saatchi and helped run the advertising campaign for Margaret Thatcher's 1987 election win.

'Fresh start'

Lord Rennard was credited with masterminding the party's electoral advance in recent years - firstly as director of campaigns and then as chief executive.

He helped pull off a series of spectacular by-election victories over the past 20 years but announced in May he would be stepping down at the end of the summer.

He has been replaced by Chris Fox as interim chief executive. Mr Fox and elections director Hilary Stephenson will also form part of the team preparing for a general election - expected next spring.

Mr Clegg said: "We need a fresh start to fix the unprecedented problems the country now faces. I am convinced our general election team announced today will deliver a successful and winning campaign."

It is hoped the commentary will make the event more accessible

The BBC will be providing live English language commentary on the ceremonies and competitions at the Eisteddfod, which begins in Gwynedd on Saturday.

Presenters Arfon Haines Davies and Sara Edwards will be in Bala commentating for the live streaming of the events on the BBC's Eisteddfod website.

It is hoped the commentary will introduce the annual Welsh language festival to new worldwide audience.

Meanwhile, a crown inspired by Iron Age fragments will be on display at Bala.

A live stream of the activities taking place in the Eisteddfod's famous pink pavilion has been offered on the BBC website in previous years but this is the first time it will be accessible to people who cannot understand the Welsh language.

it will be great to show non-Welsh speakers in Wales and beyond what it's all about Arfon Haines Davies, presenter

Mr Davies said he was looking forward to the challenge of commentating live on the action.

"The Eisteddfod is so important to the Welsh speaking community and it will be great to show non-Welsh speakers in Wales and beyond what it's all about," he said.

"The main ceremonies make fantastic theatre and it's our annual opportunity to celebrate our poets, singers and performers."

Keith Jones, BBC Wales's head of programmes Welsh and new media, said the new service was important as the BBC responded to the changing viewing habits of its audience.

"It gives us great pleasure to broadcast our Eisteddfod coverage on a world-wide platform and we look forward to hearing from viewers all over the world," he said.

The festival, which lasts until 8 August, will also display a crown inspired by Iron Age fragments found in the 1920s.

The crown may have been worn by a bard, say experts

The decorated bronze pieces, short lengths of chain and pieces of folded raw hide were found by Tomi Jones of Cerrigydrudion, Conwy, in 1924 when he uncovered a grave while repairing a wall at Ty Tan y Foel, near Betws-y-Coed.

Experts have recently interpreted the find as parts of ceremonial headgear dating back to around 400BC and have been used by National Museum Wales to create a full scale model of the Cerrigydrudion crown.

Kenneth Brassil, archaeology learning officer for National Museum Wales, said it was possible the original Cerrigydrudion crown would have been worn by a winning bard or inherited as a symbol of status.

The crown, which is usually displayed at National Museum Cardiff, will be on show at the Arts Council of Wales's 'Lle Celf' pavilion throughout the week.

Empty shops are the most visible sign of decline, the report says

About 15% of High Street shops will be empty by the end of 2009, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has predicted.

This would be more than double the 7% of stores which were vacant at the start of the year.

And the BRC said some areas had already seen up to 40% of shop space empty, amid the slump in consumer confidence.

Big names such as Woolworths have disappeared from the High Street, but overall, UK retail sales have not collapsed, as some had feared.

Gateshead, Harwich in Essex and Walkden in Greater Manchester were among the worst hit areas.

'Nurturing'

Currently, about 12% of town centre shops were empty, the BRC said.

"It is clear that in many places, recession is accelerating a trend of decline that was already under way," the BRC said.

"The dangers associated with this deteriorating picture are clear.

"Vacant units are perhaps one of the most visible impacts of the economic downturn. Shoppers who are unable to ignore increasingly visible vacant units in their local communities are likely to further reinforce falling consumer confidence."

Shoppers who are unable to ignore increasingly visible vacant units in their local communities are likely to further reinforce falling consumer confidence British Retail Consortium

Transport links

Some High Streets had lost custom to nearby towns and shopping centres, meaning they may "never go back" to being important shopping destinations, the report added.

However it insisted that the High Street still had a bright future, but needed "nurturing through this difficult period".

It called on ailing town centres to focus on local character and create attractive, safe environments.

Developing unique identities would help it to pull through the recession, a report has warned.

CHAINS LEAVING THE HIGH STREET Woolworths Zavvi Dolcis

As well as trying to make towns more distinctive and welcoming, the BRC is also calling for better transport links in a 20-point plan to turn around the fortunes of struggling areas.

Revenue from car parks should be used to improve facilities to encourage greater footfall in town centres, it suggests.

Gordon Brown has come under pressure over Trident renewal

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has attacked government "chaos and confusion" over renewing the Trident missile system.

No 10 has insisted the timetable for renewing Trident is unchanged.

But earlier, officials implied that key decisions would be put off until May 2010 ahead of a conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Mr Clegg said the prime minister should make a "climbdown" and admit the missile system was not justified given equipment shortages in Afghanistan.

In a statement, Downing Street said there had been "no change" in the government position that Trident would be renewed.

The Ministry of Defence also insisted the policy was unchanged.

But earlier on Thursday, an official briefed the media that the UK's nuclear deterrent was "now up for grabs" in the context of a multilateral disarmament agreement.

The statement from No 10 was issued as the prime minister set out a "road map" for disarmament in which all nuclear states would pledge to reduce their stockpile of warheads.

Gordon Brown is under pressure over plans to renew the UK's own nuclear weapons.

The prime minister says he is committed to updating the Trident submarine-based missile system despite its estimated £20bn cost.

'Unnecessary and unjustifiable'

Mr Clegg said the government had "rammed the decision to renew Trident through Parliament without a proper debate".

He added: "The chaos and confusion surrounding Gordon Brown's machinations on Trident is staggering.

"Gordon Brown should now complete his climbdown and admit that a like-for-like Trident replacement is unnecessary and unjustifiable when our troops in Afghanistan are still short of kit."

The decision to postpone spending decisions until after May 2010 would have effectively pushed them up to or beyond the next general election at a time when government finances are extremely tight.

There has been no change in the government's position on Trident Ministry of Defence spokeswoman

In briefings, the official stressed that the decision to replace the Trident system had been taken in 2006, but the "world had changed" since then not least with the election of US President Barack Obama, who has made disarmament a priority .

The official said: "All our deterrent is now up for grabs but in the context of a multilateral negotiation."

By the "sequencing of expenditure" on Trident, as the official put it, the decision could essentially be "pushed back".

But the official said progress on nuclear disarmament had to be "multilateral" and the goal of a nuclear free world had to be seen as an "aspiration".

However, Downing Street issued a statement which read: "The policy remains as set out in the 2006 White Paper, and there has been no change to the timetable."

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said: "There has been no change in the government's position on Trident.

"The policy remains as set out in the 2006 white paper, and there has been no change to the timetable."

The series of briefings came as Mr Brown outlined plans to offer assistance to countries such as Iran to develop civil nuclear power in return for assurances they will not build bombs.

Mr Brown has ruled out unilateral cuts to either the Trident submarine fleet or the UK's 160 warheads and has called for collective action to stop nuclear proliferation.

He set out his proposals in a written statement to MPs designed for debate ahead of talks next April designed to pave the way for a review of the International Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The Lib Dems have called for Trident to be scrapped in favour of a less expensive system while the Conservatives, who support Trident, says its future must be considered as part of a comprehensive defence review.

Some 95 Labour MPs -including 16 former ministers and four ex-members of the cabinet - rebelled against the government during a vote on renewing Trident in 2007.

A document released by the Cabinet Office on the same day stated that the government continued to judge "that a minimum nuclear deterrent remains an essential element of our national security".

Dear All,

Every week I travel around the country, meeting people in local town halls and listening to their views. Anyone can ask me (just about) anything, I also get a pretty good picture of how people across the UK feel about politics.

Next week I’m doing another public Q&A meeting, but this time, it’s going to be live and online. There will be no script, no special invitations - just get in touch and ask a question on the subjects that concern you. To give you an idea, I've recorded 2 questions of my own for you to answer. Visit: http://www.tinyurl.com/asknickclegg for full details of the event.

I want as many people to take part in this as possible – this has never been done before.

There are three ways you can help spread this:

• Tell friends on Social Networks or Tweet
• Forward this message to five friends
• Blog about this or post on your website

All Best Wishes,

Nick Clegg
Leader of the Liberal Democrats

The website describes the effects of suicide on family and friends

Young people who have lost someone close to them because of suicide have set up a website to give advice and support to vulnerable youngsters.

Bridgend teenagers came up with the idea after over 20 young people apparently took their own lives in the county over the past two years.

They hope the information will appeal to their age group and contains myths and facts about suicide.

The Choose Life web pages are being launched on Bridgend council's website.

They also contain advice on where young people can get help and personal statements about the effects of suicide on those left behind.

The young people behind the project said they hoped also to use social networking sites to direct people to their website.

"'It's a positive way of giving information to young people that's easily accessible and it offers help to people who may be going through difficult times," they said.

If people are educated more on the topic then they would have a few more seconds to think and realise the impact it has on others Rhys, 17

"We thought by putting it on a website it would be more appealing to people our age. The intention now is to put it onto social networking sites to provide the information to a wider audience.''

One of the youngsters - 17-year-old Rhys - said he and his friends decided to create the website because they did not think there was enough access to information about the effects of suicide.

"Losing someone close to you is indescribable really," he said.

"The devastating effects it had on myself, my close friends and family, it does bring you to tears just thinking about it.

"I think if this can be prevented, why should someone suffer from it?

"I didn't have a clue about any of the websites to help or people who you can go to for help, and this is why me and my mates felt it was a good idea to create a site which you could access and further help yourself.

"I was devastated and I was angry... there wasn't something like Choose Life already set up."

We have seen some terrible things written about this area, but it's not the Bridgend county I know and love JJ Williams, former rugby star

He said he believed education and raising awareness could help prevent more people taking their own lives.

"If people are educated more on the topic then they would have a few more seconds to think and realise the impact it has on others and that there's a way out, there's a way to prevent it," he added.

Rugby star support

The teenagers approached the Bridgend Local Service Board (LSB), which has helped them with their idea, along with Bridgend council's Educational Psychology Service.

The website is being supported by former Welsh rugby star JJ Williams, who said: "We have seen some terrible things written about this area, but it's not the Bridgend county I know and love. I really commend the students for what they are doing."

LSB chair Dr Jo Farrar, who is also chief executive of Bridgend council, said they were keen to help the "inspirational" students.

"They, more than anyone else, know how it feels to lose people they are close to, so they are best placed to reach out to their peers," she said.

"Their pages contain excellent advice, as well as some very stark messages about suicide and are written in a way that we hope will appeal to young people, not just in this area but all over Wales and the UK."

Mr Bercow pledged to be impartial

Conservative backbencher John Bercow has won the race to become the 157th Commons Speaker.

The Buckingham MP received 322 votes to his rival and fellow Conservative MP Sir George Young's 271.

Mr Bercow was "dragged" to the chair, a tradition for the new Speaker. A message will now be sent to Buckingham Palace for approval.

He will replace Michael Martin, who stepped down after nine years in the job amid the furore over MPs' expenses.

Mr Bercow said MPs had bestowed on him "the greatest honour that I have enjoyed in my political life".

'Process of change'

He pledged to cast aside his political views and be "completely impartial as between members of one political party and another".

And he said while the House of Commons had to reform, he believed most MPs were "upright, decent, honourable people" who had not come into politics to "feather their nests" but for public service.

I continue to believe the vast majority of members of this House are upright, decent, honourable people John Bercow Profile: John Bercow

He was welcomed by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, in short speeches in the Commons chamber.

Mr Brown congratulated him and said in the election process the House of Commons had taken an important step in the "process of change".

He said it was an opportunity for the House to "begin a new chapter" with a new Speaker.

Mr Cameron told him: "We share a collective responsibility for what went wrong, we share a collective responsibility for putting it right."

And Mr Clegg told Mr Bercow he had a "mandate for change" and urged him to get on with it.

The new Speaker Elect will not formally take up the role until after an Approbation ceremony later, when the Royal Commission assembles in Lords, Black Rod is despatched to the Commons, then MPs led by the Speaker Elect walk to the Lords chamber when the Queen's approval is given.

Opposition parties and campaigners have condemned Gordon Brown's decision to hold an independent inquiry into the Iraq war behind closed doors.

Tory leader accused Mr Brown of "an establishment stitch-up", while the Lib Dems threatened to boycott the "secret" inquiry.

John Miller, whose son Simon was killed in Iraq in 2003, said private hearings would be marred by "lies and deceit".

But others argued that closed proceedings would be more effective.

Tory MP, who was part of the Butler inquiry into the intelligence that led to the Iraq war, backed the prime minister's decision.

"Everybody who came in front of us... was able to speak frankly and they were able to say what part they had played in this bit of intelligence or that," he told the BBC.

"I don't think we could have done as good a job for the country as we were able to do if we had to sit in public."

'Full and candid'

The inquiry will start in July and take at least a year to complete. It will cover the period from July 2001 to July 2009 and be chaired by civil servant Sir John Chilcot.

It will not seek to "apportion blame", the prime minister said, but will aim to identify "lessons learned".

The government had been urged to hold it in public, but Mr Brown said privacy would ensure that evidence given by politicians, military officers and officials would be as "full and candid as possible".

Mr C accused the prime minister of reneging on promises he made just a week ago to introduce a "new era of democratic renewal" and make politics more transparent.

"The inquiry needs to be, and needs to be seen to be, truly independent and not an establishment stitch-up," the Tory leader said.

Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell rejected claims that a public enquiry would cost too much, insisting it would be "well worth the money if it stopped us making the same kind of mistake again".

The present leader, Nick Clegg, who has threatened to boycott any private hearing, said it would be possible for a public inquiry to handle sensitive information by hearing some sessions on an exceptional basis behind closed doors.

Mr Clegg told the BBC: "This, remember, was probably the biggest foreign policy mistake that any government has made since Suez.

"It's very important the the process by which we learn the lessons from that is open - the process of doing it is almost as important as the conclusions themselves."

'Day of reckoning'

"This would have been a great moment for Gordon Brown, who has said he wanted more openness and transparency in politics, to show he meant it."

Several of Mr Brown's own Labour MPs also spoke out in favour of full disclosure.

Gordon Prentice said he was "not prepared to accept a secret inquiry into Iraq", while David Hamilton said there needed to be a "day of reckoning" which could only come about through public proceedings.

Their feelings were echoed by relatives of those killed in Iraq.

It will give us some sort of government narrative that can then be picked apart Maj Charles Hayman Armed Forces UK

Mr Miller said that without apportioning any blame, the inquiry could not possibly deliver any real answers.

"To be honest, I could write on the back of a stamp what you would learn from this inquiry and that would be lies and deceit," he told the BBC.

But Maj Charles Hayman, editor of Armed Forces UK, said the inquiry would bring significant facts "into the open".

"It's not going to go as far as most people would have wanted, but it will certainly open the Pandora's box to the whole of this Iraq problem," he said.

"It will give us some sort of government narrative that can then be picked apart."

Discredited claim

Sir John Chilcot, 70, is a former permanent under-secretary of state at the Northern Ireland Office who sat on the Butler Inquiry into the intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Also on the panel are former diplomat Sir Roderick Lyne, crossbench peer Baroness Prashar and historians Sir Lawrence Freedman and Sir Martin Gilbert.

The reasons for going to war in Iraq - including the now discredited claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction which could be used within 45 minutes of an order being given - have been a source of long-standing controversy.

Two inquiries - the Hutton and Butler inquiries - have already been held into aspects of the Iraq war.

The Butler inquiry looked at intelligence failures while the Hutton inquiry examined the circumstances leading to the death of former government adviser David Kelly.

In 2008, the government defeated Conservative attempts to force a public inquiry, saying it would be a "diversion" for UK troops serving in Iraq.

In February, Justice Secretary Jack Straw vetoed the publication of minutes of cabinet meetings discussing the legality of the war in the run-up to the invasion.

Mick Bates was a science teacher before becoming an AM

The Liberal Democrat Mick Bates has announced that he will not stand at the next Welsh Assembly elections in 2011.

Mr Bates, the AM for Montgomeryshire, had a majority of just under 2,000 votes at the last assembly election.

The 61-year-old said he had made the decision now in order to give the local party time to select a new candidate.

He said his decision was influenced by his wife, a school headmistress, taking early retirement. He also said he wanted more time to "shear the sheep".

Mr Bates said his decision had nothing to do with the recent European election results and said it had been "on the cards for a long time".

"It's been planned for a long time and making this announcement before the summer is ideal - it allows the local party to get their selection process together and gives the new candidate a chance to settle in before winning the seat at the next Assembly election," he told BBC Wales.

"People are drawing conclusions from recent events - including the European election results - but it's been on the cards for a long time. My wife is retiring from her job and 2011 is an ideal time for me to go.

I hope that I have helped farmers build their businesses and I hope that I have played a role in promoting rural Wales Mick Bates

Mr Bates had a hip replacement last year, but he denied that his decision to stand down is anything to do with his health.

"I want to spend more time with my family - I'd like to see more of my grandchild and I'd also like a bit more time to shear the sheep," he said.

"I've just come in from shearing now - it's a big job!

He said he had loved his 12 years at the assembly, particularly when the Liberal Democrats were in the partnership government with Labour.

"I like to think that I used my expertise to help the farmers of Wales," he said.

"I hope that I have helped farmers build their businesses and I hope that I have played a role in promoting rural Wales.

"There are lots of issues over disillusionment and disconnection with politics but I'd like to think that I have been of genuine service to my constituents."

Mr Bates was elected for Montgomeryshire to the Welsh Assembly in the first assembly elections of 1999.

At the last election in 2007, he had a majority of just under 2,000 votes with 39% of the vote. The Conservatives were in second place.

'Legacy'

Kirsty Williams AM, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, paid tribute to Mr Bates as "a tremendous assembly member".

She added: "He has worked incredibly hard for the people of Montgomeryshire and has been a crucial member of the Liberal Democrat team in Cardiff Bay.

"His work on sustainability and rural issues has been crucial in driving forward policy in those areas.

"His lasting legacy will be free school milk, the Farming Connect Scheme and a commitment to sustainability that runs through the national assembly's work."

Mr Bates is the chairman of the assembly's sustainability committee, which deals with environmental and rural affairs.

A former science teacher, his interests include sport, painting and walking. He likes music, especially Bob Dylan.