Sunday, October 14, 2007

Goodbye Ming

Ming Campbell will be gone by Xmas. No longer the slightest doubt about it. I would very much like to be wrong. I quite like to see the Lib Dems down at about 12% in the opinion polls - and thats where they'll stay as long as Ming stays as leader. Its not fair of course, because I reckon Ming is twice the man that either Chris Huhne of Nick Clegg will turn out to be. But he has had Peter Black's 'Black Spot' on him for a while. Its Goodbye Ming.

UPDATE - Monday 6.00. Ming has gone with immediate effect. He did not even make the announcement himself. Vince Cable takes charge.

6 comments:

Aberavon and Neath Liberal Democrats said...

If Ming does go, I fear it will only be for genuine health reasons. I take him at his word that he wants to lead the party into the next general election.

So far from an election is not a good time to change leaders.

As your posting implies, Mr Davies, Ming has more credibility and even integrity than all but a few of the other front-benchers in all parties. No wonder the lightweights of the "official opposition" would be happy to see him go.

If there were a new Jo Grimond or even Paddy Ashdown waiting in the wings, I would be joining in the campaign to get Ming to stand aside (and in the open). Chris Huhne and Nick Clegg are good, but not obviously more dynamic than Ming.

I have high hopes of the next generation, however; four of the five youngest MPs are Liberal Democrats.

- Frank Little

Glyn Davies said...

Just don't agree with you Frank. Ming may well decide that he wants to carry on - but he will be forced out, one way or another. It is what political parties do - with utter ruthlessness. It is usually thought that 'so far from an election' is rather a good time. And finally, I suspect what you call the lightweights in other parties would want him to stay - just as they would like Mike German and Lembit Opik to stay. We shall see.

Aberavon and Neath Liberal Democrats said...

Your evidence for this is an article from a biased source commenting on opinion research which notoriously underrates Liberal Democrat support.

You should look at Curtice's prognostications about the Dunfermline by-election.

Only in the in-bred world of spin-doctors and political assistants do the theoretical results of MORI polls weigh more heavily than real votes in real ballot-boxes. Have a look at the results of council by-elections in 2007 to date - they show that Conservatives are making no more headway than ourselves.

- Frank Little

The Half-Blood Welshman said...

Surely you should be hoping that he'll be driven out, be replaced by one of Clegg or Huhne (who, as you rightly note, are not fit to lick Ming's boots) and that their polls promptly drop another three points?

Just a thought...

Penri James said...

I suspect my response here is a case of "my enemy's enemy is my friend". As the Plaid Westminster candidate in Ceredigion I was quite looking forward to a crack at a Liberal Democrat Party led by Ming, Lembit and Mike German. I doesn't really matter which one is, or remains, in place, they have a substantial credibility gap. I am reminded of Nick Bourne's words during the negotiations for the Rainbow Alliance "..the conservative party do government, sometimes we have to do opposition, what we don't do is limbo...". True, the Lib Dems have got the monopoly on limbo. I am surprised tht you haven't as yet made a connective play on words with Lembit, Liberal and Limbo.

Glyn Davies said...

Frank - you had better speak to your MPs. It is they who will hound Ming from office.

Half Blood - Ming is a man of integrity who towers over the pretenders, but they are more photogenic. In today's shallow political world, this latter quality is what counts.

Penri - its a job to stay above the sort of stuff you refer to - but plenty of others are doing it.