You know how it is. You’re wandering through Brighton’s Grand hotel, and you bump into former Lib Dem leader, Charles Kennedy (okay, it was by arrangement, but no matter). What would you ask him?
Lib Dem Voice put the following four questions to Charles when we met up earlier today:
* What do you think of the current state of the party? Should we be despairing or hopeful?
* What do you think the Lib Dems stand for today?
* Do you support the party’s idea of a referendum on the European Union, in or out?
* Do you want to come back as leader of the Lib Dems in the future?
Here’s what he told us:
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Much better answer on “what do the Lib Dems stand for” than Ming gave on Newsnight.
Charles always answers that on the basis of, well what we stand for rather than trying to tailor his answer to the current policy “headlines”. That’s as it should be but perhaps reflects a wider problem the party has over its identity.
Better than Ming. Also probably better than Huhne and Clegg to be honest. He had a point that neither of them managed which was the international aspect of our politics. And although the question wasn’t put to him he was better on cross party working because he realises that it is the people that matter more than the party.
Charles Kennedy – despite the ruddy complexion and the doubts this may distill – would be a more formidable leader than the incumbent or any of the identified challengers.
I feel managing to beat Chris in making the first comment to a new post is quite an achievement
Chris Paul, I thought you were a Labour supporter…
He is, that’s why he thinks CK would be a more formidable leader than the incumbent or any of the identified challengers – at least from the Labour point of view.
Charles makes a good point about a referendum loosening loyalties, and I concur, sucha loosening could only be good for liberals–break the Tories in two and we could actually be in government in the near future.