Time for a new poll, wethinks. After a few days by the seaside the key question is: who had the brightest Brighton?
Here are the candidates:
Ming Campbell: swatted away the media-induced leadership speculation with a stirring end-of-conference speech;
Nick Clegg: cannily steered through a potentially controversial motion proposing a selective amnesty for illegal immigrants, but then allowed the media to whip up yet another fake frenzy by admitting he’d probably stand for the leadership next time.
Lady Elspeth: the Lib Dems’ very own Cherie – “I don’t know whether you are being helpful or not,” was her rebuke to Nick Clegg. “I’m trying to be,” came the slightly embarrassed reply.
Lynne Featherstone: speeches to fringe after fringe, all lovingly documented on her website. And, besides, no Lib Dem poll is complete without Lynne appearing on it.
Chris Huhne: never put a foot wrong, and not a hair out of place. His presence at a fringe meeting on waste strategy attracted a packed audience, testimony to his appeal to activists.
Sarah Teather: for the admirable candour of her remarks: “I’m just the higher education spokeswoman, no one tells me anything,” she told the BBC. And at a Channel 4 / Hansard fringe she bitterly wryly noted the absence of, erm, dating opportunities for single women; helps to be a single man, allegedly.
Eyes right to vote. And if you don’t like the options, use the comments section to organise a write-in campaign.
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12 Comments
“Poll
Who do you think enjoyed the best LibDem conference this year?
The results of this poll will be announced at the LibDem conference Blog of the Year awards.”
Long time to wait.
And what about James Graham – sweeping the board (well, sort of) at the blog awards and with his own screaming fan club in tow at all times. mind you, the non-speaking role in the treasurer’s appeal video made him look a bit of a numpty.
“Poll
Who do you think enjoyed the best Lib Dem conference this year?
The results of this poll will be announced at the LibDem Conference Blog of the Year Awards”
Next year?
Susan Kramer for being cheered to the rafters when casually mentioning that she stood in the Mayoral Election of 2000
AND
John Stuart Mill and his wife Harriet for thier inspiration over the last 150 or so years
“the non-speaking role in the treasurer’s appeal video made him look a bit of a numpty”
I STILL say I came out of that film with more dignity than Jo Swinson and Julia Goldsworthy in 2005 when TCJ persuaded them somehow to go around the conference hall like a couple of QVC sales reps.
Admittedly, it’s marginal…
You have let Huhne off scott free here for the ‘ferrets in the sack’ wrestling. Not really fair I’d say.
Neither can Lib Dem Voice get away from its responsibility for stoking the leadership thing.
Clegg Vs Huhne posts gave media the opportunity to quote from your films, which they did liberally.
Get a grip lads and shoulder your own responsibility rather than just hanging clegg out as you have done here
The poll is unfair because it does not use STV
Think I’m going to have to do better on recruiting glamorous co-presenters….
Obviously not the twisted fire starter. Come on Cleggy Light Ming’s Pyre figuratively speaking.
Are they making you stay as candidate in Sedgefield then Greg? Thought you were escaping to somewhere winnable?
6 – personally, I’m not aware of any media which reported LDV’s films (tho if you can provide examples, I’m happy to be proven wrong).
When we asked Nick if he would stand for leader he refused to be drawn on the subject – indeed, he pointedly noted that any comment he made would inevitably provoke “mischievous” press speculation.
Which, I have to say, makes it slightly mysterious that he chose to succomb just three hours after we interviewed him, and to give the media (via the Observer fringe) the story it was slavering for.
The media’s reporting of Nick’s comments was stupidly puerile – but he knew full well what he was letting himself in for.
But as for “hanging clegg out” – nonsense. Nick is a tremendous asset to the party, and his immigration stance was one of the most bravely liberal policies to emerge from conference. The negative reaction of some right-wingers (many of whom imagine themselves to be in some way economic liberals) is testament enough to his endeavours.
Do keep up Chris…