ThunderDragon Blog

Chris Huhne seems to think so, anyway.

“People in charge”? Who the hell does he think has been running the Liberal Democrats? Little green men from Mars? Pod people? The Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe (aka Max)?

Well, at least this opens the door for an whole new line of speculation over why and how Ming was forced out. Did they discover his secret and threaten to spill the beans? Or does Ming just want to phone home?

And is he also trying to subtlety suggest that Nick Clegg is less than human? Maybe that was part of the deal - Ming will go quietly, but in return they can’t openly out Clegg. Or maybe Huhne is just trying to lead us off the scent…

Idea pseudo-nicked from Guido.

After Ming Campbell has been evicted from the leadership, the BBC report that “as many as seven are considering running” to repalce him. But of them, not even Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne have yet announced. Apparently:

They’ll both stand, and this ‘period of reflection’ is nothing more than an attempt to not be seen as the back-stabber. But both of them are. Along with Simon Hughes and Vince Cable. That Ming made the choice by himself to stand down is utter bollocks. As Iain Dale describes, they pushed him into going.

I’m not surprised that no-one has yet officially thrown their hats into the ring. But I bet they are many, many soundings being taken behind closed doors.

Ming had to go, sooner or later. In my last post I said “He’ll be gone by the end of the week, then. Within a month at the latest.” I just didn’t think that he’d go quite this soon!

It is clear that Ming has failed as Lib Dem leader. Under his leadership, the Lib Dem polls have plummeted by about ten points from their 2005 high. He really did lead them down the loo.

But what will happen now? We know that Nick Clegg wants to stand, and it is inevitable that Chris Huhne will as well. And since Lembit Opik has recently resigned as leader of the Lib Dems in Wales, it seems likely that he may well want to stand as well. There is also the likelihood that Party President Simon Hughes will want to stand again as well - as might Vince Cable. And what about Charles Kennedy? He was ousted for being a drunk but claims to have beaten the addiction, and has significantly refused to rule out standing again. Iain Dale thinks that he is the man to rescue the Lib Dems. I don’t think he has a chance of getting the job back.

But, really, whatever happens and whoever leads the Liberal Democrats, they don’t really make much difference. They are little more than a protest party. Hence why it makes little difference who is their leader - it is the effectively the actions of the other parties who decide how much support they get. Whether Clegg, Huhne, Kennedy, or whoever else wins the leadership election, it won’t matter much. They will get the traditional bounce in the polls - but then it’ll be back to politics as normal.

Of course, all of this is reliant on them being able to remain united after Ming the Figurehead has fully left the stage. This is their chance to decide where they will go and what it means to be a Lib Dem.

Source: BBC

He’ll be gone by the end of the week, then. Within a month at the latest.

It will have been quite possibly the shortest, and most certainly the certainly the most useless, political party leadership term in British political history - I certainly can’t think of anyone who has done worse. Ming should hang his head in shame. Not that it’s necessarily his fault or that anyone of the contenders could have done any better.

But who will replace him? Nick Clegg, Chris Huhne, Simon Hughes, Lembit Opik, Vince Cable himself or will alki Charles Kennedy return to the position? Not that it really matters. The Lib Dems aren’t a serious political party anyway.

Source: BBC

… sounds about as much fun as being anally probed with a hot poker. In fact, considerably less exciting.

Via Dizzy, who wonders “is he on valium?” we can see a sneak peek behind the bustling hive of activity that is Ming Campbell, as he is in his constituency and preparing for government…

Ming says he’s not too old… well, actually, yes you are Ming. You’re 66 - you are past the retirement age. But it’s more than just your age. Despite every attempt to give you “zing”, you still appear about as lively as road kill. That is your major problem, a symptom of your age maybe, but not simply down to that one issue.

It is not Ming’s actual age that is a problem, but his perceived age. He appears far older than 66 in both looks and actions. Instead of the lively, interesting and entertaining leader needed by a minor third party such as the Lib Dems, they have a doddering old octogenarian look-alike.

You should be at home with your pipe and slippers, reading the newspaper and tutting at “the youth of today,” Mr Campbell… but then again, for all the impact that the Lib Dems have you might as well be.

It seems that the latest polls are saying that David Cameron is less popular than Gordon Brown, and even Ming Campbell. Gordon Brown’s approval rating is +32, Campbell on -5, and Cameron on -8.

This new set of polls is just full of bad news for the Conservatives, giving Labour a 40% share, next to the Conservative’s 32%. As to whether this will lead Brown to jump for an election now, I still very much doubt it.

Hopefully this is just a short-term problem, and one that will rectify itself after the conference season is over and Brown’s honeymoon has properly ended. Hopefully. And it is up to Cameron and CCHQ to ensure that it does.

Sources: The Guardian, The Telegraph

Why did Nick Clegg do it? But whatever the reason, he did. Whether it is a mistake or not will emerge in the future, but it can be seen as little other than the effective throwing down of the gauntlet to Chris Huhne.

It seems that the Lib Dems are fed up with the constant questions about Ming’s leadership and the positioning of the potential leadership candidates - so much so that Simon Hughes delivered quite a smack-down to them in a speech just shown on Daily Politics.

Even though Clegg specifically said that “if you are asking me would I stand against Ming, the answer is no,” that he also said “if there was a vacancy in the future then I probably would” will just keep the leadership questions coming - and we may well see a riposte from Chris Huhne soon.

UPDATE: Huhne has responded, saying that it is “premature” to talk of a leadership election. A bit of a slap-down for Clegg and a way for Huhne to seem like the more loyal of the two - and to keep his powder dry.

Sources: BBC, Times News Blog

What we have all known for years has now been shown as absolutely true - the Lib Dems are just a protest party.

This is something that we all knew, really. People don’t vote for the Lib Dems because they want a Lib Dem government, but because they want to say that Labour and the Conservatives aren’t doing/saying what they want. Nothing much more than a protest vote. And this is why the Lib Dem vote is so very easily squeezed as it is being so now.

The Lib Dems are also claiming that Gordon Brown is “threatening democracy” with his attempt at a “big tent” because he wants to “create a permanent dominance” for Labour. What they really mean is that they’re being squeezed and don’t like it. Gordo’s “big tent” isn’t a new type of politics, but a slightly re-packaged old variation of the old politics - and as such he won’t be able to continue the charade for long.

Ming is failing as Lib Dem leader. He is more of a figurehead than a real leader, and can’t even make his mind up on referendums. He also seems remarkably unmedia-savvy, allowing photos of him to be taken whilst pointing down a toilet, and even admitting that he is a failure…

Image: Times News Blog
Source: The Times, BBC, Times New Blog