Sir Menzies Campbell to resign as Liberal Democrat leader

[afleitch]

Breaking news.

[afleitch]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7045833.stm

Here we go...

[afleitch]

Right. So, heads up everyone. Who's the new leader going to be

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Can Kennedy come back yet? I seriously think they realize they may be facing obliteration in the polls enough to pick him.

[minionofmidas]

Wow. That was unexpected.

Time to get out my Charlie Kennedy Fanboy suit, it seems.

[Democratic Hawk]

Right. So, heads up everyone. Who's the new leader going to be

Well, I guess you're expecting this . Preferably, someone who 1) doesn't appeal to those voters most inclined to support Labour and 2) can win back those voters moving from the Lib Dems towards Cameron and the Conservatives

A resurgent Conservative Party is a bigger threat to Lib Dem prospects than Labour. In 1997, the Lib Dems gained 28 seats (46 in all); 2001, they gained 6 seats (52 in all); and in 2005, they gained a further 10 seats (62 in all). The Conservatives, generally, are bigger threat to those seats than Labour

That said, I don't want a Lib Dem leader favourable to supporting the Conservatives in the event of a hung parliament. The Lib Dems could split on that one in any case, as to which way they go

Dave

[Verily]

Right. So, heads up everyone. Who's the new leader going to be

Clegg or Huhne. Huhne will be the candidate of the "left" and Clegg the candidate of the "right". Given that the squeeze is coming more from the right than the left right now, I'm guessing Clegg wins it.

I think Huhne might be better for the party electorally, though. He has more of the flair necessary, though both are vast improvements over Campbell's staid statesmanship in terms of PR.

[minionofmidas]

Right. So, heads up everyone. Who's the new leader going to be

Well, I guess you're expecting this . Preferably, someone who 1) doesn't appeal to those voters most inclined to support Labour and 2) can win back those voters moving from the Lib Dems towards Cameron and the Conservatives

A resurgent Conservative Party is a bigger threat to Lib Dem prospects than Labour. In 1997, the Lib Dems gained 28 seats (46 in all); 2001, they gained 6 seats (52 in all); and in 2005, they gained a further 10 seats (62 in all). The Conservatives, generally, are bigger threat to those seats than Labour

The LDs need Labour tactical votes to keep many of them though... all of these gains came with leaders more appealing to Labourites.

[afleitch]

Right. So, heads up everyone. Who's the new leader going to be

Well, I guess you're expecting this . Preferably, someone who 1) doesn't appeal to those voters most inclined to support Labour and 2) can win back those voters moving from the Lib Dems towards Cameron and the Conservatives

A resurgent Conservative Party is a bigger threat to Lib Dem prospects than Labour. In 1997, the Lib Dems gained 28 seats (46 in all); 2001, they gained 6 seats (52 in all); and in 2005, they gained a further 10 seats (62 in all). The Conservatives, generally, are bigger threat to those seats than Labour

The LDs need Labour tactical votes to keep many of them though... all of these gains came with leaders more appealing to Labourites.

As a party they have more to gain from attracting disaffected Labour voters, particularly in the long term. The past fortnight was rough for Brown but is an easy ride compared to what could be round the corner.

[Democratic Hawk]

Right. So, heads up everyone. Who's the new leader going to be

Well, I guess you're expecting this . Preferably, someone who 1) doesn't appeal to those voters most inclined to support Labour and 2) can win back those voters moving from the Lib Dems towards Cameron and the Conservatives

A resurgent Conservative Party is a bigger threat to Lib Dem prospects than Labour. In 1997, the Lib Dems gained 28 seats (46 in all); 2001, they gained 6 seats (52 in all); and in 2005, they gained a further 10 seats (62 in all). The Conservatives, generally, are bigger threat to those seats than Labour

The LDs need Labour tactical votes to keep many of them though... all of these gains came with leaders more appealing to Labourites.

Very true.  What I'm, more or less, saying is that Lib Dem fortunes are threatened more by a resurgent Conservative Party. The polls for the Lib Dems right now are poor, to the point of suggesting something of a wipe-out but I think they'd significantly benefit from Labour tactical votes regardless as they are the non-Tories. I live in the LAB-Lib Dem marginal; the irony being that a resurgent Conservative Party could help Labour

In my own campaign back in May, I encountered Lib Dem to Tory switchers and it was nothing short of a shame that there were no Conservative candidates for them to vote for

Dave

[afleitch]

Lib Dems to have meeting tonight in the 'Ferret and Sack' pub in the constituency of Lands End South

[Filuwaúrdjan]

[The LDs need Labour tactical votes to keep many of them though... all of these gains came with leaders more appealing to Labourites.

Unless something's changed internally then the next LibDem leader will probably be Clegg. Who has no appeal to soft Labourites whatsoever.

Huhne is right-wing as well, but not to the extent that Clegg is.

[Silent Hunter]

Cable is acting leader.

[Democratic Hawk]

Right. So, heads up everyone. Who's the new leader going to be

Well, I guess you're expecting this . Preferably, someone who 1) doesn't appeal to those voters most inclined to support Labour and 2) can win back those voters moving from the Lib Dems towards Cameron and the Conservatives

A resurgent Conservative Party is a bigger threat to Lib Dem prospects than Labour. In 1997, the Lib Dems gained 28 seats (46 in all); 2001, they gained 6 seats (52 in all); and in 2005, they gained a further 10 seats (62 in all). The Conservatives, generally, are bigger threat to those seats than Labour

The LDs need Labour tactical votes to keep many of them though... all of these gains came with leaders more appealing to Labourites.

As a party they have more to gain from attracting disaffected Labour voters, particularly in the long term. The past fortnight was rough for Brown but is an easy ride compared to what could be round the corner.

An economic 'catastrophe'? There'll be a lot of egg on faces if that doesn't happen

Dave

[Michael Z]

Right. So, heads up everyone. Who's the new leader going to be

Nick Clegg is more than likely to win it; Huhne has simply been too naked in his ambitions to become leader (and the fact that he threw his hat in the ring almost instantly won't wash well with a lot of party members).

Yes, Clegg openly admitted that he'd like to be party leader during the party convention, but he did so with a certain degree of cheekiness and honesty that actually worked in his favour since it almost endeared him to a lot of party members. "Hey, I'm a politician, of course I'm ambitious!" - that kind of honesty does work rather well with the Lib Dem base. Plus a lot of party members have genuine affection for him - when he slags off the Tories and Labour he hits the party's funny bone. Which can't be said for Huhne, who comes across like more of a shady schemer.

Besides, after two leaders in as many years they'll want someone who will be in charge for a long time to come. Clegg has youth on his side there, the same way Cameron and Blair did when they were elected as leaders. No, I'm fairly confident Clegg will be the next leader.

Remember, I was right about Cameron. Something I won't stop banging on about, ever.

[Silent Hunter]

Rather vicious, the way they got rid of him. Didn't even allow him to make his own resignation statement.

[Michael Z]

Rather vicious, the way they got rid of him. Didn't even allow him to make his own resignation statement.

After the way they ousted Kennedy, it was hardly surprising, unfortunately. To say I'm disillusioned with the Lib Dems is putting it mildly.