The Liberal Democrats were delivered another hefty kicking by the electorate yesterday amid increasing calls for Nick Clegg’s head.

Already annihilated in the local elections, the shellshocked party was also roundly trounced at the European polls, losing 11 seats, retaining only one MEP.

The appalling results, which will be seen as a damning indictment of the party’s time as junior partners in the Tory-led coalition, raise further questions over the party’s future and in particular that of Mr Clegg.