Huhne turns donor-gate to his advantage
Fraser Nelson 11:29am
A big winner of donor-gate is Chris Huhne. He's been the face of the Lib Dems on this, as Vince Cable continues to hound Northern Rock. The ability to jump on a news issue is a key skill required for a Lib Dem leader, and he's demonstrating his credentials here. Where on earth is Nick Clegg? Where is his campaign? If he's not careful, winning the Spectator/Threadneedle newcomer of the year awards really will be the highlight of his year.
Ps This is good news for Cameron. If Clegg pulled his finger out, he could be a very dangerous foe. But this looks like being a very big "if". Huhne far less of a Tory threat.
Update: I've just come out of a Radio Scotland phone-in I agreed to do ages ago. It was a good laugh, sparring with taxi drivers and MSPs. And then: "we're now joined by Chris Huhne who joins us on his mobile from the back of a cab in London". The man is inexhaustible.
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Comments
Jonathan
November 30th, 2007 12:13pmMethinks it is already too late for Huhne. Lib Dem ballot papers went out before this latest Labour-sleaze story broke. I suspect that most of the 'yellow-luvvies' will have already voted for Calamity Clegg. You know what they say about a week being a long time in politics.
Simon
November 30th, 2007 12:38pmYour right about Clegg missing another trick. But the winner of the campaign has been Cable. Everyone is talking him up for a recycled joke at PMQs. Clegg or Humne wont get this good coverage after the leadership election. No matter how well they do at PMQs they will be compared unfavourable to Cable. So the real winner is Dave!
Julian Cox
November 30th, 2007 1:03pmI have not as yet decided which of these jobbing careerists, Huhne or Clegg, is the greater threat to Cameron, but the former's flagrant opportunism smacks of nothing more than the usual Liberal Democrat behaviour as he gets his leg over someone else's disaster in full view of the public. He even looked the part on Newsnight last night, wearing a tie like a graduate of The Jon Snow Finishing School for Sartorial Mishaps, in the best traditions of Shirley Williams in her Mix 'n' Match Period.(And boy, was it a humdinger of a period in those heady, television strobing days of yore.) I think he was talking about comets or meteorites at one point - as if his party weren't far enough beyond the asteroid belt of reason, keeping company with the vaporous gas giants still within the gravitational field of Westminster - and whereas I cannot remember a thing Clegg has ever said either, when you start worrying about other men's ties during a Jeremy Paxman interview on the cutting edge of a government meltdown, maybe there's some truth in his being a complete and utter non-entity.
newmania
November 30th, 2007 1:25pmI have high hopes that Huhne will get it , he has certainly been much the most impressive. the only good thing is that Clegg has had to tack left in the process and will not be able to return.
David
November 30th, 2007 1:42pmWhere is Clegg? Perhaps he is checking out his donor list.
Mark
November 30th, 2007 3:38pmThe Cameroons shouldn't underestimate Huhne. He is the Lib Dems last best hope of avoiding annihilation as the mini-landslide of '97 and '01 against the Tories is rolled backwards at the next election.
Praguetory
November 30th, 2007 3:42pmHuhne has indeed been excellent. Maybe he is simply more competent than Clegg. I see no reason why he would not be excellent at PMQs, also.
Kevyn Bodman
November 30th, 2007 3:43pmFraser, Why do you think Clegg would be a more effective leader for the LibDems than Huhne? And re. your update; isn't being inexhaustible a GOOD thing?
Matt Wright
November 30th, 2007 10:36pmNeither of them impress me. Cable's been pretty good. At the end of the day I don't think antone, unless utterly outstanding, would make the difference for the LIB dems as people will decide they have to get rid of the Govt and only the Conservatives can do it.