Lord Rennard row: Peer set to resume seat in Lords
Lord Rennard has always denied the allegations Lord Rennard is set to rejoin the House of Lords later, despite leader Nick Clegg's demand he must first apologise over sexual harassment claims.
The peer insists he has not done anything wrong and is threatening to take the issue to the High Court.
One Lib Dem who made claims against him has said she will quit if he is allowed to take his seat without apologising.
Lord Rennard also wants to return to a powerful Lib Dem policy committee - but a third of members say he should not.
The BBC has been told that 10 members of the Federal Policy Committee are writing to the group's chairman to say the peer is not welcome back.
The Lib Dem Regional Parties Committee is also set to meet to consider the possibility of further disciplinary action against the peer.
Authority 'on line'Lord Rennard resigned the party whip last year amid claims he made unwanted sexual advances to several women and touched them inappropriately.
The allegations were investigated by senior barrister Alistair Webster QC who concluded they could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt - but he recommended the peer should apologise as a matter of "common manners".
Mr Clegg has made it clear the former party chief executive should apologise to the women who made the claims before the whip is reinstated.
But Lord Rennard says he cannot apologise for legal reasons, as it would be an admission of guilt.
His legal adviser Lord Carlile has warned the peer will consider legal action against the party if the whip is not reinstated on Monday.
Party rules say it is for peers to decide whether to welcome him back, and Chief Whip Lord Newby and the party's leader in the House Lord Wallace could choose to suspend Lord Rennard.
However his fellow peers - many of whom are supportive - have the power to overturn that decision, said BBC political correspondent Iain Watson.
Our correspondent said Mr Clegg's authority was on the line because Lord Rennard would be openly defying him if he returned to the Lords.
'Highly damaging'Lord Rennard also hopes to return to the Federal Policy Committee - but Gareth Epps, who sits on the group, said some of his colleagues would find it "very difficult" to work with Lord Rennard.
"I think what we need is for Chris to go away and reflect, and that may well mean that he needs to absent himself from the policy-making process for a while," he said.
He said the debate in recent days had been "highly damaging" and "very divisive" for the party.
"It would be much better if Chris apologised," he said.
A number of Lib Dems suggested over the weekend that Lord Rennard's refusal to apologise was bringing the party into disrepute. This could see a new disciplinary process, with Lord Rennard facing suspension again until it is complete.
Lib Dem Euro MP Chris Davies has backed Lord Rennard, likening the episode to the "Salem witch trials". "It is completely out of proportion, nonsense and outrageous," he said.
But Bridget Harris, one of four party activists who made the allegations, said "whatever the accepted definition of disrepute is, I think that we've achieved it". She has resigned from the party, saying it is in an "absolute mess".
Susan Gaszczak, another of the women who made the original allegations, said she would consider resigning if the whip was restored.
But Lord Carlile has said it would be "quite wrong for Lord Rennard to apologise".
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