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A Liberal Democrat Foreign Office minister has described the Tories' European allies as "quite nutty" and "an embarrassment", it has been disclosed.
Jeremy Browne also told an undercover reporter from the Daily Telegraph that he believed the Conservatives' immigration policy is "very harsh" and driven by "quite a lot of uncharitable instincts".
Browne is the latest Lib Dem minister to be caught by Telegraph reporters making disparaging remarks about their coalition allies.
Speaking to an undercover reporter posing as a supporter in his Taunton Deane constituency, he said: "They are quite nutty and that's an embarrassment to them."
He was also critical of the Tories' approach to immigration, but insisted that the Lib Dems were having a moderating effect on the coalition government's policy.
"The Tories had a very harsh, in my view, immigration policy. That's not to say I think that there shouldn't be, you know, a level of immigration which can't be assimilated in society - I'm not in favour of letting rip and letting everyone in - I think we need to have a proper, functioning policy," he said.
"But the Conservative one I thought was driven by quite a lot of uncharitable instincts. I think with the involvement of the Lib Dems plus the more liberal-minded Tories we'll end up with a policy which is more enlightened."
Business secretary Vince Cable, who was the first minister to have his comments reported by the Telegraph, strongly criticised the newspaper's methods, claiming it had completely undermined the relationship between MPs and their constituents.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd
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