Boxing gloves are on for Clegg

Nick Clegg has asked for boxing gloves for Christmas - but declined to admit whom he will imagine punching with them.

The Deputy Prime Minister said he used them at weekly kick-boxing sessions because it "gets stuff out of my system".

But the gloves supplied by his gym were "slightly smelly" so he hoped to get a Liberal Democrat-yellow pair of his own as a present from wife, Miriam, he said.

Mr Clegg made the revelation during a festive version of his weekly Call Clegg phone-in on LBC 97.3 Radio - recorded at the Children's Hospital School, Great Ormond Street - to be broadcast on Christmas Day.

Conceding that his choice was a gift to political satirists, he said: " T his is so going to be misinterpreted - but I've actually asked for a pair of boxing gloves.

"Not to wear them in the House of Commons, although come to think about it, maybe I should. It's because once a week, I go to a gym and... I do these exercises.

"The boxing gloves in the gym are slightly smelly. So I thought I may as well just ask for my own boxing gloves and I'll take them to the gym.

"It's just really good exercise. So I've asked Miriam for a pair of 12oz boxing gloves."

Mr Clegg admitted that he did like to mentally replace the coach taking his punches with individuals to whom he would like to deliver a hearty blow.

"I sometimes imagine people, who will remain nameless," he told host Nick Ferrari.

He recommended kickboxing to anyone seeking a good workout.

"I love it. It's very good fun... it gets stuff out of my system.

"I'm not any good at it, but it's incredibly good exercise."

Asked if he had a preference as to the colour of the gloves, he said: "Yellow, of course."