UK Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2017

[Phony Moderate]

It'll probably be Swinson or Davey. Cable might get it though if the party expects another general election within eighteen months (that's one of the reasons why Campbell got it).

[Phony Moderate]

Sky News says Vince Cable is running.

I have a feeling he'll be unopposed.

[Phony Moderate]

He was the minister responsible for overseeing the tuition fees rise...good luck with this.

[Phony Moderate]

I get the feeling if Charles Kennedy was still alive, he would be the front runner in this race easily, especially if he won his old seat back. Do you that he could/would win?

That would depend on his health. He didn't look particularly good in his later years. Check out his final appearance on the BBC's Question Time (just a couple of months or so before his death): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9w0UjwX9vY

Comparable to Jack Layton's final press conference.

[Phony Moderate]

Tbh I'm kind of amazed that a significant portion of former LibDem voters supported Leave.

Pre-coalition, they were the main non-Labour/Tory party and were seen as 'clean' due to not having had experience in government since the War. A lot of their old vote was in no way intended as an endorsement for liberalism.

[Phony Moderate]

Sir Vince Cable is now the Lib Dem leader; nominations closed a few minutes ago and he was the sole candidate.

[Phony Moderate]

Actually, an argument can be made that he's got the most gravitas of any Liberal leader since Jo Grimond.

Farron had eff all and his GE campaign ended up being dominated by questions about his views on teh gayz.

Clegg was just a pretty boy who had a brief, shiny moment in April 2010 before (lol) making a net loss of seats. He then proceeded to so publically betray his base that it was quite surreal, pissed away voting reform for a generation, got wiped out at every level of government and then didn't even manage to hold Twickenham in 2015. Oh, and post-leadership he managed to lose his own seat despite a slight improvement for the party overall.

Campbell was old and stale in 1997, let alone 2007.

Kennedy was a nice guy but...cheers.

Ashdown was plagued by a play-on-words headline on his name.

Steel was f**ked by Spitting Image.

And then you had Jeremy Thorpe.