Nick Clegg reveals he will stand again in June general election

Nick Clegg has ended speculation about his political future by confirming he will stand again in the general election.

The former Deputy Prime Minister wrote on Twitter: "I will stand again. My constituents and millions across UK deserve better than Theresa May’s hard Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn’s hapless leadership."

The ex-Liberal Democrat leader was one of just eight survivors after his party's mauling in 2015 and there was doubt about whether he would seek to continue as an MP.

Mr Clegg confirmed he would fight to retain his Sheffield Hallam seat in order to oppose the Conservative Party's "damaging approach to Brexit".

He said: "Theresa May has called a general election out of opportunism and intolerance: opportunism in seeking to exploit the weakness of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour party; and intolerance in seeking a landslide majority to bring about 'unity', by which she means the ability to impose whatever interpretation of Brexit she wishes without meaningful scrutiny from Parliament.

"Meanwhile, her Brexit-obsessed Government is failing to provide the decent schools, hospitals and social care which communities, including those I represent in Sheffield, rightly deserve.

"This general election once again places the interests of the Conservative Party ahead of the daily needs of the British people.

"I will be re-standing as the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate in Sheffield Hallam - a constituency I have had the immense privilege to represent in Parliament for 12 years - because I vehemently oppose the direction that Theresa May wishes to drag our wonderful country.

"When I was leader of the Lib Dems, our key task was to provide responsible Government; today, our key task is to provide effective opposition and lead the fight against the Conservatives' damaging approach to Brexit.

"My constituents, and millions of people across the country, deserve a better choice than Theresa May's hard Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn's hapless leadership."