Both leadership contenders have stated they want to see former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy make a return to the party’s shadow cabinet:
* Chris Huhne – “The party needs Charles to come back in a key, front-line role as soon as possible. He is far too big a talent to sit on the subs’ bench.”
* Nick Clegg’s campaign manager, Danny Alexander: “We’re all huge fans of Charles and extremely keen to see him return to the front bench as soon as he’s ready.”
The question is what job should he get? (Doubtless a cue for Tory trolls to leave side-splittingly hilarious comments.) And will there be space around the shadow cabinet table also for Ming Campbell?
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12 Comments
If Clegg wins Huhne would be a good choice for Treasury, if Huhne wins Clegg may well stay where he is. Either way the FCO brief needs some one who can make more of an impact than Moore (I asked a local party chair, not my own, who our Home, Treasury and Foreign portfolio holders were – guess which he couldn’t remember). Maybe Charles should be Shadow Foreign Secretary?
Charles: Shadow Home
Ming: Shadow Foreign
You lot are gluttons for punishment! What cabinet should CK be given? Come on!
CK should be Party President once again. He would be able to tour the country meeting and enthusing members without having to remember any detailed policy. (Willy Brandt was given the equivalent job by Helmut Schmidt.)
Ming should definitely get his old Foreign Affairs brief back. He would block any attempt by neocons to manipulate the new leader into backing war with Iran.
CK should be put in charge of constitutional issues/shadow leader of the house. If one person in the country, let alone the party, can sell the need for constitutional reform to the public, who don’t appear particularly interested, it is Charles.
The media would pay attention, as would the public and we may actually make progress on the issue. I really hope someone senior makes this suggestion to Huhne/Clegg.
What neocons? in the LibDems? Charles should get Foreign Affairs under whoever wins
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Charles Anglin wrote: “What neocons? in the LibDems?”
We could start with one Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, who supported the Iraq war.
Then there is Mr Mark Oaten, who was fully signed up to the Cheney/Bush adventure until it became clear that the Parliamentary Party was going to oppose it. Indeed, I recall Mark on Question Time saying to Bernard Jenkin: “They (the French) will come round.”
Not that I have the slightest fear that either gentleman will be able to dictate foreign policy to our new leader.
I am more concerned about the influence of the Murdoch press, and the pressures that might come to bear if the prospect of a coalition arises.
Theo Butt Philip, I’ve got nothing against Huhne, but I think that Vince Cable really should stay as Shadow Chancellor. I think that sanbikinoraion made good suggestions about the correct jobs for Ming and CK.
Angus Huck, I recall that according to party rules one person can only be a president for two terms, and CK has already been two terms as a president.
Stephen. Why is it only Tory trolls that can leave side-splitting responses. If you’re going to set up a goal and then walk casually away…
That being said, there’s been a lamentable lack of humourous responses. Perhaps you should have posted this late on Friday night, so that we could all pick it up when the pubs had shut.
Kennedy for Shadow Health,
Have you tried changing your GP or find a NHS dentist? So much for choice!!!
We need a big name like Charles to tackle this national disgrace!
Dominic makes a very strong point, and I have thus changed my view—I would’ve said foreign (as I doubt Ming’ll accept a role), but Justice/Constitutional Affairs would make sense for CK, he could really make the case for a decent reform, and he knows his stuff on it as well.