Ming annoints Clegg as his successor

Menzies Campbell has made the following appointments to his frontbench team:

• Home affairs - Nick Clegg (a rapid promotion for this new MP and a sign from Sir Ming that Mr Clegg is his preferred successor).

• Foreign affairs - Michael Moore (he had previously been at defence and is a strong supporter of the LibDem line on Iraq).

• Treasury - Vincent Cable as Shadow Chancellor (no change) and Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury will be Julia Goldsworthy (given Theresa Villiers' appointment as George Osborne's number two, this puts two new female MPs up against one another).

• Health - Steve Webb (no change)

• Environment - Chris Huhne (global warming etc was a core theme of his unsuccessful campaign although given most of his green policies involved taxation Vince Cable will be able to veto all wild thinking).

Norman Lamb MP will be MC's chief of staff.

Comments

[William Norton]

Just heard Clegg on Radio 4 PM programme. Actually came across as quite weak, which surprised me.

[john Skinner]

What is Peter Oborne smoking these days? A few weeks ago, Cameron was the best thing since the proverbial bread. In today's London Evening Standard, he thinks Ming should have been PM for the last decade and is likely to marmalise Cameron in the May local elections.
Coming after D'Ancuna's sentimental support for "brave" Tessa, I'm wondering whether it's worth continuing with the Spectator subscription.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

"Just heard Clegg on Radio 4 PM programme. Actually came across as quite weak, which surprised me."

I thought just the same when I saw him on Newsnight last week, but I suppose this is probably because I've been conditioned by all the 'Liberal Democrat answer to David Cameron' hype coming from the Catholic plotter's blog and the media.

If Nick Clegg is the future of the Liberal Democrats, then we have nothing to worry about. (Although with Menzies Campbell plotting the course to electoral oblivion, we don't really have naything to worry about anyway!)

[john Skinner]

I mentioned the Evening Standard earlier. In the same edition, there is a marvellous demolition job on Gordon Brown by his biographer Tom Bower. It's headlined: "Don't Bet on Mr Clean." (As the successor to sleaze-merchant Blair.)
I'd just like to remind anyone who thinks Brown is Mr Integrity,of the passage in Piers Morgan's diaries where he invites the Mirror editor to No 11 for a drink and produces a tape cassette. From memory he says; "This is Liam Fox at a Tory meeting, slagging off the NHS. I thought you might find it useful."
The recordist was probably the same guy who taped Howard Flight. With people like Brown, who needs Alastair Campbell?

[Guido Fawkes]

Be nice to Clegg, you made need him after the next general election...

[kingbongo]

Be nice to Clegg, you ma[y] need him

Sorry Guido you've been staying up too late watching trailers of V is for Vendetta and it's twisted your brain. Even if by some disastrous scenario the limpdems hold the balance of power I can't see them wanting to work with us and even if they do one look at Scotland should ensure we don't touch them with a barge pole.

Nick can come and join us in developing sane policies that might be enacted and then we can be nice to him!!

[Selsdon Man]

What for Guido?

[Geoff]

Vincent Cable as Shadow Chancellor

Can we please get away from erroneously referring to members of the minor parties as being "Shadows". That is exclusively the remit of the Official Opposition.

Sorry, but I have just got into work in a bad mood and this is the type of inaccuracy up with which I will no longer put < pedant mode = off >.

[Yet Another Anon]

I imagine that the next Liberal Democrat leader will most likely be either Vincent Cable or Lembit Opik both of whom are effective communicators and who have some innovative ideas, it does depend how the Liberal Democrats do at the next General Election - if they do as badly as I expect I imagine that Menzies Campbell will go soon after, if they hold most of their current seats or even increase their number as some seem to think then he might well remain as leader for 10 or even 20 years - after all John Howard is no spring chicken and there is no sign of him standing down or being beaten, Ariel Sharon is way older than Menzies Campbell and continued until he dropped, William Gladstone was 86 when he formed his last minstry.

[Yet Another Anon]

>>>>Can we please get away from erroneously referring to members of the minor parties as being "Shadows". That is exclusively the remit of the Official Opposition.<<<<
Actually the position of Leader of the Opposition is the only offically recognised position in the Opposition, everything else has only unoffical status in common speach - however to avoid confusion it might be better if the Liberal Democrat team are referred to as Shadow this or Shadow that that they are referred to as the Liberal Democrat Shadow this or that, in fact I suppose using such terminology Menzies Campbell could be described as The Shadow Leader of the Opposition.

[Geoff]

A good point, YAN. Convention has always had it that it is HM Loyal Opposition are the only party to use the term "Shadow" but I suppose one of the lessons NuLab have taught us is that convention and tradition count for naught - they can use whatever titles they wish.

After all, we've invented a Shadow Minister for Homeland Security, so fair is fair I guess.

I'm sure we'd all agree, though, that seeing Menzies Campbell on the BBC described as The Shadow Leader of the Opposition would set many sets of teeth on edge and cushions being hurled at television sets.

[Yet Another Anon]

>>>>I'm sure we'd all agree, though, that seeing Menzies Campbell on the BBC described as The Shadow Leader of the Opposition would set many sets of teeth on edge and cushions being hurled at television sets.<<<<
Mostly by Liberal Democrats I imagine who would say he should be the Shadow Prime Minister - I'm not sure the term Shadow this or that has quite the Kudos it used to, not since Ann Widdecombe described Michael Howard as having something of the night about him, and after this when he was Shadow anything and anyone else being called Shadow something just recalled this to people's minds.

Spokesman makes people sound like part of a school debating society which is why I think the Liberal Democrats have abandoned the term.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

Sarah End-Of-Teather has been appointed LD Education Spokesperson. So David Willetts will have to face down Ruth Kelly and Sarah Teather - easy pickings methinks.