"Accordingly I now submit my resignation as Leader with immediate effect. " -- Sir Menzie Campbell

Politics "When I was elected Leader of the Party in March 2006 I had three objectives. First, to restore stability and purpose in the party following my predecessor's resignation and the leadership campaign itself, second to make the internal operations of the party more professional, and third to prepare the party for a General Election. With the help of others, I believe that I have fulfilled these objectives, although I am convinced that the internal structures of the party need radical revision if we are to compete effectively against Labour and the Conservatives. But it has become clear that following the Prime Minister's decision not to hold an election, questions about leadership are getting in the way of further progress by the party. Accordingly I now submit my resignation as Leader with immediate effect." -- Sir Menzies Campbell resigns and with that The Liberal Democtrats render themselves slightly more electable.

And I did vote for the Greens in the last election, whatever it was (I'm being flippant by the way). Ming did gain power and after eighteen months he was forced out by what looks like almost the same means as his predecessor. Unlike Charles though, he did not make the statement himself and has very much gone to ground. Personally I think he's deluding himself when he says he's prepared the Liberal Democrats for a General Election -- if Gordon Brown had called one last Tuesday its almost certain 'we' would have lost ground to Labour and the Conservatives. You cannot have such a dip in the polls and see your leadership as a sucesses. What Ming did was return the Lib Dems to their pre-Kennedy position of being an insignificant 'force' in politics.

Age was never his problem, I don't think. He just always seemed too much of a politician of the old school, indecisive, lacking respect in parliament and unable to hold his own in the media. Now and then he was praised for making a good point at Prime Minister's questions, but that should have been every week -- it reminded me of playing football during Games at school and when I managed to kick the ball (once every couple of matches) the teacher congratulating me. The problem now, is that none of the other candidates look like they could be a solid leader either, but that's probably with the exception of Chris Hulme and Charles we've not heard of any of them. Perhaps we should give the job to Lembit Opik the party's own Boris Johnson who gave a Brian Barron a right telling off on News 24 last night just before the statement, saying the media don't know anything. At least people know who he is.