Did the Lib Dems get rid of Ming too quickly?
James Forsyth 10:37am
Tim Hames has a typically sharp column in The Times this morning about the Lib Dems decision to dump Ming. He argues that the polls are so volatile at the moment that the Lib Dems would have done better to wait until Christmas before pulling the trigger as by then they would have been certain where they were really losing their votes to and why.
Having said that, Hames is very much part of the growing Clegg bandwagon: “Despite that, there is only one direction that the Liberal Democrats can and should take to limit the damage of this debacle. Nick Clegg is so plainly the superior contender for the post that, if he does not win, the party will have opted for collective suicide after committing two murders.
The real challenge for whoever leads the Lib Dems, though, is carving out a distinctive niche for the party again. If they are to do that successfully, they are going to have to be far bolder in both policy and presentation than they were under Sir Ming.
As a telegenic young figure from the party’s Centre Right he would compete again for the support that seems, for whatever reason, to have slipped away at warp speed to the Conservatives. All of which means that the principal beneficiary from Sir Menzies’s harsh demise may be his old friend, the Prime Minister.”
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Alex, London
October 16th, 2007 11:38am Report this commentI'm unconvinced by Hames' statement that Nick Clegg is "from the party’s Centre Right".
Praguetory
October 16th, 2007 11:49pm Report this commentHames sharp? I seem to remember him talking about how stable the polls were just before Blackpool. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/tim_hames/article2563026.ece The boy's a dolt
Roger Shade
October 17th, 2007 8:33am Report this commentThe centre right is incredibly old fashioned definition of modern poilitics. Nick Clegg is a true Liberal and his policies on crime and immigration demonstrate this. Chris Huhne on the other hand represents the 'green wing' of the party and also an enthusiastic supporter of fair taxation. Either could make an excellent leader.
Pamela Jarvis
May 7th, 2008 10:57pm Report this commentMost people that have been comfortable and workers are going to be reduced to the bread line with Gordon Brown. he has no idea how to run a country and will find himself being portrayed as a perbitraitor to poverty. people with jobs are finding it hard and that only months into it just think what damage he can do in his two years of office. may be he should try working on our wages to see how much he can do with a pitance.
grandad
May 8th, 2008 1:04am Report this commentwhy is a scot running england. when will broun stop takeing as being thik i dont know what school he want to but it must of been crap as i was told the wrold as been warming and cooling doun from the beging of time so where is the problem whith globle warming
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