Lloyd Evans watches as Ming Campbell attempts to revive his party and leadership and witnesses a performance which is typically, well, Liberal Democrat.
Lloyd Evans
The final day of the Lib Dem conference and the leader’s chance to silence the ‘Sling Ming’ plotters. Mr Campbell strode into the hall wearing a dark suit and a lime green tie and shook hands with an Asian in a wheelchair. Beside him his glamorous wife Elspeth sported a white tunic with big Andy Pandy buttons. This sent a nicely judged message: I am clearly the First Lady and therefore the man beside me must be the prime minister-in-waiting (and waiting and waiting).
At the rostrum Ming began haltingly, weakly. He asked a question, ‘What sort of country do we live in?’ and gave queasy, unattractive answers. ‘Civil liberties stolen, shoddy secret arms deals.’
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