Ming Campbell resigns

wgm Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 06:59:28 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

Sir Menzies Campbell has resigned as leader of the Lib Dems. We have to hope that the Lib Dems will choose someone on the right of the Party, one of the "Orange bookers" to succeed him and draw back much of the lost Lib Dem vote which has aided Cameron's poll boost. Labour needs the Lib Dems to be contesting and holding seats where they and the Tories are the main challengers.
David Laws, Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne must be the main challengers.





tags: , (all tags)

Display: Sort:
Ming Campbell resigns | 36 comments (36 topical)

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#1)

by NorthernMonkey on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 08:01:57 PM GMT

If Clegg wins, it'll be good for us. Just been watching clips of Clegg and he looks and sounds pretty much like Cameron so hopefully he'll crowd out the Tories in the middle England vote.

Prepare to see the LibDem poll ratings shoot up if Clegg wins - but hopefully he'll take the LibDems to the right and take votes off the Tories and not us.


Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#2)

by lastword on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 08:16:57 PM GMT

I agree.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#3)

by champagnesocialist on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 09:09:49 PM GMT

Well looking at http://www.libdems.org.uk/party/people/shadow.html I see a bunch of people I have vaguely heard of but wouldnt necessarily recognise if I saw them in the street.

 

So whats the reckoning? Clegg, Huhne, Davey, Hughes, Laws and wildcard Opik 


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#4)

by champagnesocialist on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 09:13:36 PM GMT

Maybe they should get Kennedy back in?


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#5)

by NorthernMonkey on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 09:47:29 PM GMT

I noticed Iain Dale was plugging for Kennedy - no surprises there, if Kennedy were to lead the LibDems again then they'd be doing worse than they are now.

Charles Kennedy may be a nice guy, but come general election time, the media will never let the country forget that as recently as 2006, he was an alcoholic - and people won't vote for a leader who has recently been an alcoholic.

He's old news really - I've got no doubt that Clegg (or Cameron Jnr. as he may as well be called) will win.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#6)

by laurencemarshall on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 10:37:52 PM GMT

Did you all notice that Ming himself didn't make the statement? I reckon they've killed him.  


Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#7)

by NorthernMonkey on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 10:58:58 PM GMT

Simon Hughes also said he hasn't spoken to Ming all day.

Until I see Ming in person, I'm suspicious!


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#17)

by red flagger on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 11:13:41 AM GMT

It struck me as being a bit like an old-style Soviet leadership purge- "I'm afraid comrade Ming has had to retire for personal reasons"


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#29)

by laurencemarshall on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 06:57:31 PM GMT

While watching Ming's interview today, I got the distinct feeling the interview was recorded a few days ago. I reckon they have fed the guy's corpse to some pigs to get rid of the evidence.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#8)

by kpp2002 on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 11:02:04 PM GMT

other ouside bets steve webb, who did a good job exposing the CSA as the mess that is was/is

and My own favourite Lib dem Norman Baker

Sue kramer will be touted for her gender as opposed to any other reason

Kirsty Wark on newsnight has just quoted Mike hancock as saying Ming has been "shafted by shits"



Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#12)

by Parishpumpspin on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 09:05:34 AM GMT

Davey is an outside bet, he can rally support from those who think Campbell was badly treated, has got his first child due in October and 75% of the Cowley Street operation are from the Kingston mafia....David Heath is dead in the water already cos Alex has offered support..;-)


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#30)

by libbysd on Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 01:52:21 PM GMT

Susan Kramer would not just be touted for her gender, I've met her myself and can assure you shes pretty darn good. the only female MP I know whos being touted for her Gender is Ruth Kelly (every civil servant I've met says shes rubbish and is only in government because of her Gender).


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#35)

by laurencemarshall on Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 10:37:42 PM GMT

I've met her too and she's awful. She's the most irritating nimbyist (even for an MP) I have ever met. She's done nothing as an MP in parliament, and is certainly just in the frame because of her gender.

A perfectly acceptable Lib Dem leader! 


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#9)

by SocialistAC on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 11:54:05 PM GMT

I didn't think that Ming was too bad, for a LibDem. I am a man of the Left, but I could agree with some of the things he said and wrote over the years. Shame about the party though. Anyway, more important issue. If Huhne or Clegg become leader, surely that would make the LibDems shift into a centre-right party like Germany's FDP? And isn't Clegg the one who reckons we need to "break up the NHS"?

 


Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#10)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 12:16:16 AM GMT

Yep, he is.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#13)

by SocialistAC on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 10:22:47 AM GMT

If Clegg becomes leader, our party better make that an election issue if they have any sense. A policy like that would be electoral poison for any of the centre-left voters that the LibDems have poached over the last few years by using a few headline-grabbing left-ish policies.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#33)

by libbysd on Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 02:00:46 PM GMT

Clegg might become leader but because the party has a democratic way of making policy it would be suicide for him to try and break up the NHS although I believe what he wants to do is not so much privatise but instead simply decentralise and have a publicly owned healthcare system that has all the basic principles of the NHS but the services are controlled at a local level independently of central government. that may get through and although Labour spin doctors would try to mince our party for it I can't see the electorate having too much of a problem with that idea.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#11)

by HOWLERMONKEY on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 07:38:51 AM GMT

The silliest question of the evening was  BBC News 24qustion to Mark Oaten - "Can you rule yourself out?"   Oaten as leader would be the dream scenario!


Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#14)

by SocialistAC on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 10:31:35 AM GMT

Another thought: like it or not, in the event of a hung parliament, with Ming in charge the LibDems were a potential coalition ally. (Yes, I'd prefer us to get a majority, but we can't be certain of anything.) With Clegg, Laws etc in charge they could well become a party more connected with the Tories, particularly if Cameron keeps up playing the illusion of making the Tories more "liberal" on social issues and "green". We should be concerned about this.


Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#15)

by Radford Mann on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 10:37:36 AM GMT

Yes, I agree. I don't think voters vote Lib Dem for left / right reasons. It seems to me to be very much a franchise party - opposed to us in our seats and opposed to the Tories in theirs. I think we should hope for a Huhne or Webb victory and a Lib Dem rise in the polls which will be at the expense of the Tories. If there is a hung parliament it should be possible to do a PR for coalition deal with either of them. Clegg will look to the Tories.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#16)

by Parishpumpspin on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 10:50:24 AM GMT

Your missing the point on this, their is no rational for a Lab/Dim coalition, once we lose a majority we accept that and watch the chaos that would be 2 years of Tory/Dim chaos (which would then ensure we were back for another 10 years).


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#18)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 11:59:16 AM GMT

I disagree - that's what the Tories want us to think.

If Labour ends up as the largest party and has the most votes, even if we don't have a majority then we should form the next government.

Either as a minority government or in a coalition.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#20)

by Parishpumpspin on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 12:21:43 PM GMT

Under what basis? Any failure to secure a majority means that the electorate have lost faith in our ability to govern, by trying to agree any coalition with the Dims we simply invite the electorate to do the job properly after we spend 4 years hand-tied by untrustworthy and simplistic partners. By removing ourselves from that equation we force the electorate to undertsand the consequences of a Tory party unable to and a L/D party unfit to govern, a path that would be both the right thing for the party and the country.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#21)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 01:25:23 PM GMT

So you're saying that even if we end up as the largest party and have won more votes than any other party in the country, we should simply abandon the idea of governing and give up?

You really are making me wonder whether you're actually a Tory trying to stir up trouble.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#23)

by alexswanson on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 01:43:45 PM GMT

Just out of curiosity - what if you lose the popular vote but still win most seats? Don't forget, in 2005 you polled fewer votes in England than the Conservatives but that hasn't produced anything in the way of humility or self-restraint.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#26)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 04:34:17 PM GMT

And? Since when did England become an independent nation? We are the United Kingdom so who got most votes in England is completely irrelevant. We got the most votes in Scotland and Wales (not to mention the North of England, London etc.)


It's more difficult to justify leading a government if we lost the popular vote (across the UK) but got the most seats. Yet, if these are the current political systems we have to deal with then we should certainly push to form a government if this scenario becomes reality. I don't hear many Tories pushing to scrap FPTP, do you?

Also, isn't it amazing how the Conservatives are now not-so-Unionist now they've finally realised that they're politically bankrupt in Scotland and Wales? Opportunistic much?


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#24)

by Parishpumpspin on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 02:26:31 PM GMT

Look son, bad enough reading your idiocy without you repeating back to me what I have already stated about you, some original thought wouldn't do you any harm but more importantly some understanding of politics would assist more. If you want to play "holier than thou" bang up your party card number and I'll bang up mine. I'm sure Mr Hilton and Tribunite can vouch for me, who vouches for you?

As stated, a clear rejection of the party by the electorate, manifesting itself in a failure to gain a majority after 12-13 years in power can only be resolved by accepting a small period of opposition, leaving the tories and the Dims to provide clear evidence why neither of them are worthy of Government over the long term. I fail to see any advantage (and as usual you provide no rational for the party to be hamstrung by the Dims or any reasoning as to how that assists in the meduim term) for the party in coalition and thus I repeat, OUR interests in such a situation are best served by letting others mess it up.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#25)

by swatantra on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 03:34:43 PM GMT

You're assuming that they'll make a hash of it; but what if they come up with successful policies and the economic climate works in their favour? No, one should never relinquish power and watch from the sidelines. Take a look up north at the Scots Nats, a minority govt whom the tides of fortune seem to be favouring. They could be there for some time and once entrenched difficult to remove.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#27)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 04:40:04 PM GMT

No you look, boy, we shouldn't just give up on government. There's no such thing as a good period in opposition. We should fight all the way to stay in government and if you don't believe we should then why are you even in Labour? For all we know, the Tories and LibDems might do well together and put us out of power for a generation. You shouldn't want to see that happen.

If we win the popular vote and get the most seats then we have won the general election (regardless of whether we have a majority or not) and should form the government (either a minority one or coalition). That's fair.

If we do get a hung Parliament then people like you would become Cameron's dream come true.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#31)

by libbysd on Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 01:54:30 PM GMT

The country never had that much faith in Labour to govern you never even recieved over 42% of the vote


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#19)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 12:02:49 PM GMT

It's a double edged sword since a Clegg victory makes it more likely that we'll get an overall majority as he'll appeal to the South against Cameron, but can't really see him appealing up north any more than Cameron does now.

However, if we don't win an overall majority I could well see that Cameron and Clegg (Cameron Jnr.) go into coalition with one another, which of course would end up in absolute chaos.

Overall, I think we should hope for a Clegg victory as he'll be more of a threat to the Tories than us. We just better make sure we win an overall majority next time!


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#22)

by swatantra on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 01:43:08 PM GMT

I think a Clegg leadership is in our best interests. He is so much like Cameron that you really can't tell the difference. Any lineup with the Tories would split the Lib Dems down the middle; so thats a nonstarter. In a hung Parliament, they'd prefer to align themselves with Labour. If not, then do what Wilson did, lead a minority Govt and go to the polls again in six months time, and win the majority to govern.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#28)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 04:46:12 PM GMT

I agree, most of the LibDem rank and file would deplor a coalition with the Tories but I think Clegg would push it as far as he could.

And yes, I'd rather we led a minority government than formed a coalition with the LibDems if they had too many demands that contradicted our principles.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#32)

by libbysd on Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 01:56:04 PM GMT

You, may have principles, but I have seen little evidence of them in the parliamentary party, sometimes it seems to be the other way round for the liberal democrats.


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#34)

by NorthernMonkey on Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 03:24:24 PM GMT

Well we'll see if those on the left of the LibDems like Simon Hughes stick to their principles when Clegg shifts your party to the right...


[ Parent ]

Re: Ming Campbell resigns (#36)

by Just Labour on Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 12:01:12 AM GMT

We're not a pressure group, we're a political party.  A period in opposition to watch from the sidelines and hope the other lot make a hash of it is the sign of a party that has run out of ideas and has nothing to offer. 

I'm sure there were some who said that after the debacle of the fag end of the 74-79 Government. We got Thatcher and 18 years on the sidelines.

If Labour is the biggest party then we should seek to form the next Government and go back to the polls as soon as we are strong enough to get the majority we need.

In any case, we have rarely had minority administrations in our (essentially) two party system. The Britihs people tend to make a decision one way or the other.


[ Parent ]

Ming Campbell resigns | 36 comments (36 topical)