Lib Dem leader says lack of apology over harassment claims is in defiance of basic decency and formal recommendations

Nick Clegg is standing firm over the future of Lord Rennard, saying basic decency requires the peer to apologise over harassment allegations before having the party whip restored and that he does not believe this is the time for legal sabre rattling by Rennard's supporters.

"No apology, no whip; that's my view, it's the view of many party members," Clegg said in a round of broadcast interviews.

With Rennard wishing to return to the Lords on Monday and an English party committee meeting to decide whether to start fresh disciplinary action against the former party chief executive, Clegg warned Rennard and his fellow peers of the consequences of ignoring the rest of the party.

"Clearly it would be in defiance of basic decency, it would be in defiance of what the independent formal process has recommended … and defiance of me and defiance of the president of the party. That is why I hope it will not happen this afternoon, if it were to happen, clearly matters would not rest there."

Clegg, who has not spoken to Rennard directly, said: "If he apologises, reflects and changes his behaviour, then that is then concluded because that is the end of the formal process which we launched.

"I am the leader of a political party and not a sect. I cannot frogmarch someone to apologise."

Clegg has won the influential support of Lord Macdonald, the former director of public prosecutions and a Liberal Democrat. Macdonald said the official party inquiry into Rennard's behaviour had shown there was broadly credible evidence that he had violated the space of women and caused distress.

He said Rennard could not cherrypick the inquiry's findings, which had ruled that he should not be disciplined, but should apologise for causing distress even if he had done so inadvertently.

"If Lord Rennard's reaction is to refuse to engage with this, it is very difficult to see how we are going to get out of this impasse," Macdonald said.

Rennard has said that an apology may expose him to civil legal action by the women.

Macdonald said: "I don't think an apology couched in these terms would lead to any civil liability at all. It is perfectly normal in civil litigation to issue an apology of this sort."

The Lib Dems' English regional committee is due to meet on Monday and could institute fresh proceedings against Rennard for bringing the party into disrepute by failing to apologise. It is possible they could suspend him from party membership pending the inquiry. A third of the federal policy committee have written to party officials saying they oppose Rennard's return to the committee.