It's only a week until the gripping contest that is the Lib Dem leadership contest comes to a conclusion. It's odds on the that Nick Clegg will prevail. Has the leadership election itself and following Vince Cable made his task a little trickier than it looked a few weeks ago though.
 
Before the leadership contest, Clegg had a profile similar to Ming Campbell's few years ago. The man who should have run for leader and had a firm grip on his brief. During the leadership contest though, there have been one or two unedifying moments. His run in with Chris Huhne on the Politics Show over the 'Calamity Clegg' document, as well as undertones from the Huhne camp about lack of real life experience. As well as that, there has not been a lot of vision or ideas from Clegg, partly due to Lib Dem conferences making their policy. Much has been made about breaking the law on ID cards if they are bought in, but that's student behaviour and not that of a statesman.
 
His biggest problem though is taking over from the successful deputy Vince Cable. Cable achieved something almost unheard of when he got the Lib Dems noticed in the House of Commons, with the line about Stalin to Mr Bean which could well stick to Gordon Brown. Clegg will struggle to better Cable in the Commons, and bearing in mind it was the Chamber that shaped the impression that Ming was not performing and incompetent, Clegg will need to be on top of his game for his first performance in the new year.
 
I wonder if he regrets not going for the deputy leadership. If he had, he could have been shown to have been the competent leader following the disastrous reign of Ming. In leaving the field open for Cable, he's created another 'he should have been leader figure'. Dangerous people to have around.