Click HERE to read Danny Finkelstein's 'more sorry than in anger' destruction of Ming Campbell and his explanation of why the LibDems have to get rid of him. There was a time when I thought the LibDems would do just that, or that over the summer we would hear that he had decided to fall on his sword, citing health reasons. He's clearly not enjoying the job.
Of course one reason why senior LibDems are reluctant to wield the knife again is the popularity of Charles Kennedy among the LibDem membership. While the Westminster village commentators will cite Chris Huhne and Nick Clegg as the two rivals in any leadership contest, no one should rule out the return of Charles Kennedy. He keeps dropping hints that he hasn't ruled out a return at some point in the future. And LibDem members know what I know. If he did return, they'd get an immediate five point bounce in the polls. Those LibDem in marginal seats would give anything for such a thing at the moment.
13 comments:
Ming is only still leader because the media spun the 'Brown Bounce' as a disaster for Cameron, but ignore the dire polls the Lib Dems were getting.
Media spin has some uses.
We must do all we can to keep Ming in place!!
I have great fun in my area teasing Lib Dems about this.
and bounce...hick...and bounce...hick
Of course, a Tory blogger really has the Lib Dems best interests at heart and would not be trying to stir things up.
The harsh fact is, Kennedy has on, important occasions, been drunk and incapable and it is far too early to say whether he has mended his ways. It would be irresponsible of the Lib Dems to put him back in the saddle and it would be irresponsible for us to urge that upon them.
Kennedy is another sour little scotlander who does not understand the English.
Here is a one of his comments to scottish audiences in 1999
"There is, according to the old joke, no equivalent in Gaelic to the word mañana - nothing, as the crofter is supposed to have said to the tourist, "expressing quite that degree of urgency". By the same token, there is as far as I am aware no equivalent in Gaelic, or for that matter in English, to the word schadenfreude, a useful German expression meaning to take pleasure in the misfortunes of others. But it is not an emotion exclusive to the Germans.
Do I detect a certain schadenfreude among Scots at the apparent current turmoil among the English over their sense of national identity? If so, it is given extra savour because that crisis of identity is provoked at least in part by the creation of the Parliament in Scotland and the Assembly in Wales. Suddenly it is Scotland which is forging ahead in a grand constitutional experiment, and England which is poring over its national navel and asking: who are we ... and why?"
We English do not need this ignorant prat presiding over English affairs.
I love Ming! But then I want Cameron to win the election.
....but not Kennedy surely. Not because he is an alcoholic, but because he is an alcoholic who cannot control his alcoholism.
He has (I believe), on several occassions been drunk and unable to function while 'on duty'. He might be affable, but he is also 'gaffable' to!
Besides, he is Scottish!
As I illustrated yesterday Iain (et al) over on Conservative Home, the current polls (especially the one in the marginals) demonstrate very clearly that the next election will be a disaster for the Lib Dems. Ming needs to go now or else over half of the current Lib Dem MPs will not survive polling day.
if kennedy dares to return the full story of his drinking will come out. journalists and fellow lib dem mps will feel released from any sense that they should keep schtum. if he has any sense, he'll keep his head down.
The member of the Westminster parliament for North East Fife seems a wholly appropriate person to be leading a party that claims much of its support from south west England, formulating political stances and voting on all kinds of issues which have nothing to do with his electors in Scotland, in the current constitutional arrangements which deny England proper democratic representation and answerability in an English parliament.
This state of affairs only apes what we are putting up with from the Labour regime.
I doubt Kennedy will make a return, though I think he'd be a much better leader than Campbell. He's an affable bloke, and whilst not an inspiring speaker, he doesn't bumble his way through speeches a la Ming.
In terms of the argument about the South West, I don't buy that. At the last general election there was a big swing from Labour to Lib Dem in all regions, particularly in the North of England.
PS. Drop the idea of an English parliament, it's embarrassing.
PPS. Some comments on this blog display a lack of understanding of Scotland. 'The Scots' are not a big homogeneous group constantly trying to annoy the English. There are plenty of faultlines in Scottish society; Protestant/Catholic, Rural/Urban, Unionist/Separatist etc etc.
Just as a point, I'm not Scottish.
Getting the knife out looks just like a job for previous Kennedy Assasination Squad Member, Norman (conspiracy is my trade) Baker MP.
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