Nick Clegg

Nick Clegg becomes leader of the Lib Dems securing 20,988 votes compared to the 20,477 secured by Chris Huhne.

I have to say that given the Lib Dems see themselves as a major force inUK politics, the fact that it only takes around 21,000 votes for you to become party leader does strike me as very interesting.

I suspect there will be sound defeated Parliamentary candidates that got more votes in a single constiuency than that.

Interesting times ahead.

Bookmark/Search this post with:

 •    •    •    •  

Literally hours after I poured scorn on the "up for discussion" comment about Ming Campbell's leadership he has gone with immediate effect.

Nick Clegg was the will he wont he run candidate last time, and he kept his powder dry. This will surely not be the case this time.

A few years ago at Lib Dem Conference I was regailed by a senior Lib Dem MP who effectively said that the Orange Bookers would take control over the party (signifying a shift to the right) over his dead body.

If so there could be a battle royale between the left and right in the Lib Dems to take control of the heart and soul of the party.

The Lib Dems have always been able to appeal to disaffected Labour voters by advocating left wing policies in one area, and by advocating moderate right policies in other areas they have appealed to to disaffected Tories. One wonders if the poll gains in recent weeks by the Tories will convince them to go for an Orange Booker.

Iain Dale thinks Kennedy is a good bet,  but surely Clegg will have the guts to throw his hat into the ring.

Wouldn't that make Gordon Brown the old man of British politics!

Bookmark/Search this post with:

 •    •    •    •  

Things are not looking good for Ming Campbell or the Lib Dems.

Ben Brogan has pointed out that on Electoral Calculus using recent polling, the Lib Dems would end up with a total of zero seats, and now a Populus poll for the Times is indicating that they have dropped 3 point to only 12%.

Ming has consistently stated that he will lead the party into the next election, which certainly looked likely with the possibility of a snap election. Now Brown has ruled that out, and suggested that an election isnt likely in 2008, the Lib Dems surely must be having a sertious look at not if Ming will be challenged, but when.

Bookmark/Search this post with:

 •    •    •    •