Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Ming Campbell on Newsnight

Newsnight are devoting 20 minutes to Ming Campbell tonight. They've conducted a poll and he's being confronted by 30 or 40 voters. How do you think he's doing?

Newsnight's poll makes grim reading for Ming HERE. Perhaps this finding sums up the position the LibDems are in...

More than half of people (53%) quizzed by ICM for BBC2's Newsnight said Mr Kennedy would be the best leader of the party, compared to 26% for Sir Menzies.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I saw him going to make a speech at the CBI recently. He got out of the car in Tottenham Court Road and walked in on his own, past a crowd of people who had no clue who he was. I'm beginning to feel sorry for him - that poll giving Kennedy such a huge lead is shocking!

Anonymous said...

Old Methuselah Campbell was actually shouting at a young voter who said he lacked charisma.

He's lost it ...

Chris Palmer said...

The Lib Dems are just making excuses. They would be doing rubbishly in the polls even if Charles Kennedy was leader. They are kidding themselves - the Lib Dem support always decreases when an election is not on.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Andrew. I was actually concerned with Campbell getting elected as Lib Dem leader whilst Charlie was in charge.

I am now praying he stays put!

Anonymous said...

I thought he did well. He was passionate and clear. Solid work!

By the way, could I just say that Dan Jackson's website is the most comical thing I have seen for ages. Is it a spoof?

Anonymous said...

Re Dan Jackson's website - you should have seen his election leaflets. They were even funnier!

Anonymous said...

I feel sorry for Ming. He comes across as SO inadequate and so very desperate to succeed.
It's a shame.

Anonymous said...

I thought it was all terribly painful to watch - a bit like voluntary euthanasia.....

Stephen Glenn said...

Iain, if memory serves, were there not similar poll results about Major, Hague and IDS regarding their predecessors at points in their leaderships? Admittedly Howard managed to escape but that can hardly be a relieve for your lot.

Joe Otten said...

I think if you ever have a poll on who would make the best leader for party X, the loyalists of parties Y and Z will always make mischief. And sheep will infer from the fact the question is being asked, that the expected answer is not the actual leader.

Anonymous said...

Stephen...

One word - Cameron! That is your issue - a leader who is failing to live up to the profile of his predecessor v a leader who has taken the political scene by storm!

Last night was a classic Newsnight ambush, Campbell's team should have researched better what they were letting there man in for...

Anonymous said...

Anon - I bet you looked forward to them landing on the mat tho eh ...

Which was your favourite?

Man in a Shed said...

Ming Campbell is excellent - long may he stay on as the Lib Dem undertaker.

Its was the audience and some of their opinions who worried me more on Newsnight...

strapworld said...

Never forget the English love the underdog!

He should play the old man, once an olympic runner, in it to win card on every occasion.

The Lib Dems are a brilliant Bye Election fighting machine. They should determine which seats to concentrate on and apply their knowledge on fighting Bye Elections to a general election and they may achieve better results.

He certainly is a far better bet than Cameron as I feel Cameron will be facing a major split within the Tory party grassroots and the parliamentary party within eighteen months.

He is not going down well with local tories!

wonkotsane said...

I almost felt sorry for him,, he looked like a kicked highland terrier when he saw the poll results. Good recovery though, he can certainly spin on demand.

When they were asking audience members why they wouldn't vote for him I was waiting with baited breath for someone to say "Because you're Scottish and 80% of the UK government's business only affects England". They didn't though, which is a shame as his excuse for voting on English-only legislation seems to revolve around the fact that some of his constituents have relatives in England.

Anonymous said...

"The Lib Dems are a brilliant Bye Election fighting machine. They should determine which seats to concentrate on and apply their knowledge on fighting Bye Elections to a general election and they may achieve better results."

I've got news for you, Strapworld - that's just what they do do (witness Solihull).

Didn't see Ming's performance last night, but hope to catch up on it via the web. Was there as option on this survey along the lines of: "I don't give a shit who leads the Lib Dems"?

Paul Linford said...

So Charlie Kennedy is more popular with the voters than Ming Campbell. Well, well, well. What sheer political genius it must have taken to work that one out. And what total political stupidity on the part of those Lib Dems MPs who failed to realise it last January.