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Mr Clegg and Mr Osborne are deeply divided over the depth of spending cuts and whether tax rises are needed to clear the deficit.

The Liberal Democrats have called for a mansion tax on top of stamp duty reforms announced in the Autumn Statement, and said that public spending should rise in line with GDP once the deficit has been eliminated.

The Conservatives are opposed to a mansion tax and want to continue with spending cuts until the government is running a budget surplus in 2020.

The Liberal Democrat leader claimed that Conservative MPs are privately supportive of a mansion tax. He said: It is extraordinary that the Conservatives constantly tell me privately it is a good idea but continue to reject it in public, Clegg said.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg interviewed during BBC's Andrew Marr

He added: I think once we have dealt with the structural deficit, once we have balanced the books, we should provide public services with the money growing in line with the rate of growth of the economy.

"Under George Osbornes approach it would mean that once we balance the budget in 2017/18, they would want to pare back remorselessly, year in, year out, the state."

Is the Coalition rift real?

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Nick Clegg says Tories are 'kidding' public as Coalition rift deepens