Liberator magazine has asked the two Lib Dem presidential contenders those tough questions – read their responses here.
A taster to whet your appetite:
Q5: How will you ensure that you gain regular and meaningful access to the party leader?
Farron: He won’t be able to get rid of me. Being an MP gives me direct access to the media to get our message across and it also gives me close access to Nick. I’ll be a critical friend to the coalition and a candid friend to Nick. As President, I would carry a mandate from the members to ensure that the leadership keeps closely to our core principles and our manifesto promises – I would do everything in my power to head off situations such as the current tuition fees issue, so that our members feel that their party is standing by those positions that matter to them the most.
Kramer: Ministers and their special advisors are beginning to understand the need for communication. I want to make this easy for them by setting up regular but well run meetings in which we exchange information and make sure it gets back to the membership. I believe that the trust and reputation for judgement that I have earned will make this process easier. I have no personal axe to grind. If there is resistance, I am well known for not taking “no” for an answer and being quite prepared to doorstep.