From today's Scotsman...Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell was yesterday urged to ignore his "wretched" advisers and follow his instincts when tackling Tony Blair at Prime Minister's Questions. Former Liberal leader Lord Steel acknowledged that Sir Menzies had been criticised for failing to make a bigger impact at question time. "I don't know what's gone slightly wrong," said Lord Steel in an interview on BBC Radio 4's The Week in Westminster, "but I have my suspicion and it's this - Ming was very, very good on his own. He was a good House of Commons man, well respected, always listened to... "Now he has these wretched advisers and endless briefing meetings before he goes in. The whole thing is made into a bit of a nightmare. "It's always bad for a former leader to give advice to a current one but... I'd say 'Just go back to being yourself and forget all these other things. In other words, play it by ear'."Who can he mean? Who are Ming's "wretched advisers"?
Can he even make it till the end of the year? if I was a betting man I would have money on Nick Cleggg being leader by Christmas. As for his chances of making it to the next election, they diminsh by the day. I am sure Liberals must be now realising that they elected a complete dud as leader. The local elections were a bit of a disaster and things can only get worse.
ReplyDeleteSteel's comments, whilst I'm sure are well meant avoid a more obvious conclusion - that Ming has been promoted one step too far. He's now got the full (and probably declining) expectations of the LibDems on his shoulders, and all of the organisational workload that comes with it.
ReplyDeleteThe LibDems have made an awful mistake in electing a Leader who the country would struggle to recognise as a genuine contender in today's more 'presidential'leadership contests. All of the parties have at various times made the same mistake..Michael Foot, IDS etc and it never ends well.
I pity the guy. I'm sure he's totally committed to his party, but unfortunately, these days, that won't be enough. I'd be suprised if he last 12 months.
I am genuinely amazed that anyone looked at Ming and thought he was a winner. Like the Tories, did with arch-moron IDS.
ReplyDeleteYou only had to listen his frequent tedious ramblings on Question Time... His one-trick - the War. Yawn yawn.
The guy is a genetic bore. Pure and simple.
I think everyone underestimated the strength of the Scottish bloc vote in the LibDems. Is there any breakdown of their membership geographically?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there is a big lesson for Gordon Brown and the LAbour Party here somewhere...
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