Tag: sir menzies campbell
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The Mingterview (part 2)
We return to find our hero still in conversation with the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Menzies Campbell, following the Mingster's keynote speech last Thursday. Will he ask a difficult question or will he roll over and have his tummy tickled? Read on to find out…
Categorised under: Politicality
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The Mingterview, part one
If you need any better illustration of the promising effect of Thursday's Lib Dem announcements, it's the way it's suddenly open season on the party on certain right-of-centre blogs
Categorised under: PoliticalityTagged as: sir menzies campbell
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Ming pulls it off
It's a funny old world when the replacement of a media-conscious young leader with a silver-haired patrician is the cue for the first ever free-for-all interview between a party leader and a bunch of bloggers.
Categorised under: PoliticalityTagged as: sir menzies campbell
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On Mingness and Cameronality
So Ming scored a direct hit at PMQs today, then. He must have done, because everyone's saying he did.
Categorised under: Politicality
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Mouthbound feet abound
So, let’s see if I’ve got this straight.
Categorised under: Politicality
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It must be true, it was in the paper
Chris is winning! No – Ming is winning! Bloody hell – just count the votes already. Edit: Some interesting commentary at politicalbetting.com suggests that neither paper (but particularly the Graun) took much care to check the people they were polling were party members and therefore entitled to vote. There’s also some suggestion that it would…
Categorised under: Politicality
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Chris Huhne: Just say 'no'
Whole books have been written on the ideal qualities of a leader: the ability to inspire – coolness under fire – broad strategy combined with tactical nous – high principles tempered by low cunning – luck, as well as judgement. Fewer have been written about the failings that leaders must avoid – even though one…
Categorised under: Politicality
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Ming tells it like it is
Well said that man! “David Cameron’s flip-flops on policy expose his inexperience. He’s still a novice. A leader with L-Plates. “So while Conservatives may think that youth, inexperience, and naivete are the answer to their problems; I say they are not the answer to the country’s problems. “Tomorrow’s Britain needs leaders of experience, proven good…
Categorised under: Politicality
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Ming Campbell’s Achilles heel
I was phone canvassed by the Campbell campaign yesterday and the combination of that and some conversations I’ve had with members in my local party suggest exactly why my favoured choice for leader isn’t waltzing home unchallenged – why, in fact, he is quite likely to lose to Chris Huhne.
Categorised under: Politicality
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My crystal balls
I believe that two things are going to happen in British politics over the next few years. Firstly, when Blair goes there will be a backlash against young, slick media-friendly politicians. Gravitas and dourness will be in, charm and twinkling smiles will be out. It's been brewing for years and it'll take just one spark…
Categorised under: Politicality
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Here we go round the bloody mulberry bush
Isn't it completely predictable? Having knocked down CK, Mark Oaten and Simon Hughes (not exactly difficult tasks, admittedly) it's now time for for the guns to be turned on Ming. It starts here, with an utterly unsourced story in the Guardian (unsourced unless you count that obscure amoeba Ben Ramm, who makes the pre-Big Brother…
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Better than badminton
Finally have time to write up my thoughts about the Any Questions leadership debate, from the perspective of being in the audience. The comically long queue outside the hall, which wound along corridors and through doors and almost to the Surrey / Hampshire border, made it look like the event was going to be packed,…
Tagged as: Any Questions, Chris Huhne, David Howarth, simon hughes, sir menzies campbell, Susan Kramer
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Answering the question
Last night Ming Campbell was on Question Time, a programme that generally drives me barmy because I find myself wanting to hurl abuse (and chairs) at the screen. The panel bore distinct evidence of a sudden change in priorities by the programme-makers. Salma Yaqoob of Respect was joined by a silver-haired ex-diplomat from the dubiously…
Categorised under: Politicality
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Alas, poor Mark
So Mark Oaten has departed from the Lib Dem leadership race, his campaign having been met with a certain amount of derision and rather a lot of underwhelmed silence. While some people clearly have a lot of faith in him and others were out to get him from the start, most gave him a fair…
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Meeting the Challenge II
Here's the second post on Saturday's Meeting the Challenge conference – this one's on the leadership candidates' speeches. There were all four very different. Ming gave a leader's speech, not a candidate's speech. It was thin on detail but heavy on gravitas. He was visibly distracted by the way his microphone kept randomly failing, but…
Categorised under: Politicality
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Meeting the challenge I
Categorised under: Politicality
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Grey today, gold tomorrow
I'm working from home today – a real delight after a pretty grim journey on the Tube yesterday. But I can't believe how cold and gloomy it is. Midday and I've got the light on, even though I'm next to a window, and a fan heater blowing. Tomorrow should be interesting – we're going to…
Categorised under: Politicality