Mark Oaten MP may have declared his bid for the LibDem leadership but today's newspapers are doubtful that he has the seven supporter MPs that are required for him to stand. Only Lembit Opik has openly backed him so far although it is rumoured that Charles Kennedy may also be a supporter.
In an article for today's independent Mr Oaten seeks to outline his worldview by emphasising opposition to the war on Iraq, civil liberties, a multilateralist approach to environmental problems and support for economic ideas like Bank of England independence. Earlier this week he called for people earning £150,000 to pay the LibDems' 50% top rate of income tax. The current suggestion is that the brain-draining 50% rate would bite at £100,000.
If a very small poll of 104 LibDem activists is to be believed Mr Oaten will struggle to overhaul Ming Campbell's early standing. The Independent's "straw poll of 104 local councillors and parliamentary candidates from across the country found that 45 expressed backing for Sir Menzies, 13 for Simon Hughes and 10 for Mark Oaten."
One of the reasons why Mr Oaten may struggle to win the backing of the seven MPs is that other leading 'Orange Book modernisers' such as David Laws and Nick Clegg have already endorsed Mr Campbell. Long odds are not new to him however.
Matthew d'Ancona thinks that Mr Clegg (although only an MP for eight months) is the right choice for the LibDems. Having read Matthew's article twice I'm not convinced as to why... although Mr Clegg apparently comes over well on a TV with the volume off.
For Mr d'Ancona it is David Cameron's LibDem offensive which has precipitated the need for a 'shock therapy' candidate like Mr Clegg:
"From the start, Mr Cameron has made the destruction of the Lib Dems his mission, striving at every turn to decontaminate the Conservative Party and restore it to the electoral mainstream. When Mr Cameron talks about the environment, global poverty and the public services, it is often assumed he is aping Mr Blair, whereas, more often than not, he is wooing Lib Dem voters. It should terrify the third party that, according to an ICM poll last month, 63 per cent of Liberal Democrats consider Mr Cameron "a potential prime minister". A survey in yesterday's Times put the third party at 16 per cent, its lowest such poll rating since the 2001 election."
Later today Sir Ming, as acting LibDem leader, will have his first outing at PMQs. Sam Coates, Deputy Editor of ConservativeHome, will be blogging the occasion as the Editor may still be asleep (in Washington DC).
"Having read Matthew's article twice I'm not convinced as to why... although Mr Clegg apparently comes over well on a TV with the volume off."
Then he truly is their David Cameron! Surely you remember the eve of conference poll which riased the profile of Cameron's candidacy, where people had liked the look of him on a silent film...
Posted by: James Hellyer | January 11, 2006 at 07:39
Apologies for the following idiot-boy questions...
Is the 'Orange Book' actually a book?
If so has anyone read it?
Is it widely available?
Posted by: RobC | January 11, 2006 at 08:57
Indeed it is a book. And no, I haven't read it.
Posted by: James Hellyer | January 11, 2006 at 09:21
Don't forget John Hemming!
Posted by: Daniel Vince-Archer | January 11, 2006 at 09:48
The big problem to Clegg became apparent to me when I saw him interviewed the other day. He's David Cameron. I don't mean politically, although from the sounds of it that too, but his rhythms of speech, that acute earnestness, the language, even the pitch of his voice is eerily like the main public school collaborators in Cameron's Conservative project. If you're not selling sufficiently different policies, you need to sell a distinct personality, and I don't believe Clegg is capable of distinguishing himself from the much more famous Cameron. He looks, talks and by all accounts thinks very similar. For both the Conservatives and the LibDems, it would be a bit of a disaster to have a Cameron mini-me, no matter what other fine qualities and strong views he may possess.
Posted by: Ed R | January 11, 2006 at 09:50
Rob C, not stupid questions at all.
The Orange Book was published about 2 years ago. I'm currently reading it at the moment and it would be perfectly possible to buy a copy on the net, it's in the mainstream.
Posted by: Frank Young | January 11, 2006 at 09:54
According to the BBC, Simon Hughes is down to ask a question at PMQs too - so that's another one for Sam Coates to look out for.
Sam - it would also be good to hear how DC does admidst all the Lib Dem excitement. Let's not forget who is the main attraction and who, in the end, is a sideshow.
Posted by: Simon C | January 11, 2006 at 11:08
Simon Hughes will run. Bit sad to see that the BBC is saying Simon Hughes is down to ask a question. Why make it a spectacle by giving the Lib Dem problems a platform? This is Parliament for heavens sake.
Posted by: James Maskell | January 11, 2006 at 11:24
Here are the details for the Orange Book.
Apparently it is currently out of print.
Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism
Editors: Paul Marshall, David Laws
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: September 2004
Product Details:
ISBN: 1861977972
Format: Paperback, 224pp
Pub. Date: September 2004
Publisher: Profile Books Limited
Posted by: Andrew Robinson | January 11, 2006 at 11:42
If the Lib Dems need Nick Clegg, we do not. I think he described himself as "mini-Ming" on Newsnight the other night. He is a slick operator and earned respect while he was a MEP in the East Midlands. He should be watched but not encouraged. The Lib Dems should stay loony and elect Simon Hughes.
Posted by: David Surtees | January 12, 2006 at 11:25