Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Hughes Sorry Now? Simon Shows Signs of Panic at Huhne Advance


This story which has just gone up on the Press Association wires certainly shows signs of desperate panic in the Simon Hughes camp. I must admit that although as a Tory I'd like him to win, I think his campaign is going nowhere, and that it is Chris Huhne who has run the only campaign with any sense of vitality. See what you make of this...

Liberal Democrat leadership contender Simon Hughes today tore intorival Chris Huhne, saying he did not have the experience or public profile for the job. Mr Hughes said after just nine months as an MP Mr Huhne was not ready to lead the party. He said he was virtually unknown outside Westminster. And he warned it could be a mistake to choose a leader who faced a huge battle to hold onto his own seat at the next election. Mr Hughes insisted the contest was a two-horse race between him andSir Menzies Campbell, saying Mr Huhne was not "in the same league''. But he also alluded to Sir Menzies' age, 64, saying the party must decide if it wanted a leader for "this generation'' or "a caretaker''. Mr Hughes was speaking at the launch of his manifesto. He has fallen behind the other two candidates after revealing he is bisexual and apologising for a string of previous denials. Mr Huhne recently claimed Mr Hughes was out of the running following his admission. But Mr Hughes today sought to turn the tables on his rival. Speaking in his Bermondsey constituency he said he and Sir Menzies were recognised by voters across the country. "I don't think Chris has got that sort of recognition,'' he said. "I don't think he is in the same league.'' Mr Hughes said the contest was always going to be between him and Sir Menzies, and Mr Huhne did not have the experience to compete. "That is the serious choice - a choice between the well known Liberal Democrats who have a track record, who are tried and tested,who have fought and won elections and campaigned up and down the country. Chris Huhne arrived in parliamentary politics eight months ago,'' he said. Mr Hughes said he and Sir Menzies had decades of experience compared to Mr Huhne. Mr Huhne has a precarious majority of just 568 in his Eastleigh constituency. Mr Hughes said the party would have to pour in a quarter of its resources to hold onto the seat. He said Huhne was taking a risk in running for the leadership that he would not have been prepared to take. He said Mr Huhne was probably "marking his card'' for the next leadership election rather than being a genuine contender this time round. Mr Hughes also emphasised his environmental credentials. Huhne has made the running on green issues, but Mr Hughes portrayed him as a newcomer to the scene, whereas he had been campaigning on the environment for more than 20 years. He also attacked Mr Huhne's plans for punitive fuel taxes to combat pollution. "You can't just callously say 'let's tax fuel much more and nevermind the consequences','' he said.

Miaow.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

An outside bet I know, but I think Hughes will win. What everyone seems to forget, is that it's the members that vote. Yes, the electorate might hate him, MP's might hate him, Tories certainly hate him, but the to the members he's a God like figure. And these bearded sandal wearing vegetarians are exactly the type who will put a X on the ballot paper.

I think the other candiates appeal to Lib Dem voters, but Hughes' Campaign has been squarely aimed at members. It's unfashionable, but I think he'll win.

And remember no publicity is bad publicity, ever.

Anonymous said...

Guido beat you to that story! I hope that you did not pinch it from him. He will want a bottle of Margaux.

Anonymous said...

Will he use his CR poll to produce "this race is a straight choice" leafltes?

Russ said...

You need to get blockquotes working Iain. The italicized text is killing me.

Anonymous said...

I am prepared to believe that Lib Dem activists as well as their MPs are into kinky acts of self-degradation which will end in electoral humiliation - viz voting for the sanctimonious old hypocrite the Reverend Mrs Hughes. But I cannot believe that many activists are as deluded as Lib Dem Member.

"no publicity is bad publicity" ...

Perhaps Mark Oaten should show us some 3 in a bed photos, in order to boost his standing, or maybe Charlie Kennedy fancies a sponsored pub crawl? Can you be serious? Why not go the whole hog and bring back Jeremy Thorpe as your animal rights spokesman? It would undoubtedly generate heaps of publicity.

As a gambler should I try to lay Hughes? From what I read, it does not appear to take very long and is quite easy to arrange.

Anonymous said...

Actually, the Tories I know are praying for his victory and it is the Labour Party members who want Huhne or Campbell.

I don't know any Lib Dem who is voting for Hughes - the beard and sandals brigade are certainly still out there but the power-at-any-price battalion is bigger.

Anonymous said...

Andrea: Will Hughes claim its a straight choice? According to his own website there is no choice, its game over, Hughes has it in the bag already and did so several weeks ago:

http://www.simonhughesforleader.com/values.php

"Winning here" with Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem bar chart tells it all, the principled one has 51%, with the other 2 way behind on 29% and 20%.

As we are all aware, LibDem bar charts are always accurate and designed to inform rather than mislead so now you know. "Its a one horse race."

Aidan said...

As someone who fits the beardy vegetarian (and owns a pair of sandals but only wears them in hotter climes) who expected to be voting Hughes this time around his campaign has just imploded spectacularly.

I don't blame him really - it's just he spent so long defusing the situation with regards his marriage/bisexuality comments that he's late out of the starting blocks. Now I think he'll do well amongst members who will vote without having followed the race and I think that his section of the manifesto booklet you get sent when voting is the strongest visually which may well help, but it all depends on how closely Lib Dem members are watching the race. If they are the Times commented yesterday that amongst those who have seen the three MPs talk, Huhne gets the biggest section of support.

Is it panic? It could well be - Hughes can pull this back around but I'm sceptical of his tactics. For me I think MPs would be more able to work under Huhne than Hughes and right now we need the MPs to stop faffing around and just settle down to concentrate on being a good opposition to New Labour. I'm not so certain that MPs would behave under a Hughes leadership...

Paul Linford said...

If Huhne really was such a no-hoper, Hughes would be ignoring him.

Anonymous said...

Paul - didn't Davis try that with Cameron? "What speech?" was the quote I believe.

neil craig said...

Fairly parochial to say that Huhne shouldn't get it because he hasn't been a parliamentarian long enough - he was in the EU parliament where he went about putting sunset clauses into things (the only thing any links seemed to know about him when he declared but about the most useful thing anybody there could do).

It is shallow & grossly unfair to point out that he is the only candidate with hair but unfortunately in a media age it is also important, as Hague & IDS both found.