Vince Cable has attacked the Lib Dems' Tory coalition partners as "ruthless, calculating and very tribal" but insisted their alliance would continue.
The business secretary's party suffered huge losses in Thursday's elections and were defeated in the vote on changing the electoral system.
He told the BBC the government's "overwhelming priority" was still to resolve the UK's economic problems.
Tory Home Secretary Theresa May said the parties would still work together.
Thursday's referendum on changing the way Britain elects MPs was a key concession secured by the Liberal Democrats as the price of forming a coalition government with the Conservatives a year ago.
But the overwhelming rejection of change by voters in only the second ever UK-wide referendum potentially marks a new phase in the relationship between the two parties.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13320029
Note: 7 May 2011 Last updated at 09:25 GMT