Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg visits Kirkintilloch

The Lib Dem leader, who was taking a break from his party’s conference in Glasgow, joined local MP Jo Swinson, council leader Rhondda Geekie and council depute leader Ashay Ghai at the school.

He was accompanied by wife Miriam and learned all about the pupils’ healthy eating projects, as well as hearing about the plans to build a new school near the town’s Southbank Marina.

Speaking to the Herald, Mr Clegg spoke about how impressed he was with the school, adding that he enjoyed learning how to make fruit kebabs.

He also defended his part in the introduction of the so-called bedroom tax, praised Jo Swinson and insisted that polls suggesting his party would lose half their Scottish MPs in the next election were just part of the “ups and downs of party politics”.

Council leader Rhondda Geekie said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Nick and his wife Miriam to Lairdsland Primary School today.

“The plans for the new Lairdsland Primary School are really impressive and it was great to see the children so enthusiastic and excited by the opportunity to show off the model of the school they will be moving to very soon.”

More on Nick Clegg’s visit in next week’s Herald.