Absence of nostalgia
Like a stick of Brighton rock Ming Campbell's speech (watch it in full here) had one word running though it - the word was substance.
He wanted, of course, to draw a contrast with the spin which he alleges David Cameron has copied from Tony Blair. He wanted too to signal to his own party that the days when they could rely on a likeable leader and a handful of populist symbolic policies were over.
Campbell knows that much of his party's current appeal is time-limited. The war in Iraq will be long gone by the time of the next election - along, of course, with Messrs Blair and Bush. Hence the importance the Lib Dem leader attaches to its decision this week to adopt green taxes as as an answer to what Ming Campbell calls the greatest moral and practical challenge we face - climate change.
Just as significant for him was the absence of nostalgia for the man he replaced - Charles Kennedy. There was not a mention of him in today's speech. The party has moved on - no mean achievement given where they were a few months ago. Now, the rather bigger task begins of selling their new leader and new policies to the public.
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Comments
Ming is brilliant, he would make a superb father Christmas, and its one of the best things that could happen to the liberal democrats and I hope they stick with him until after the next election at least. To be perfectly frank like the majority of the electorate I never listened to his speech, he just looks like a nice old man to me, does he have an allotment? he's lovally though I woul never vote for him to run the country, becasue if he popped it, we'd end up with simon whatsis name cricky!!!
Hi Nick, I saw the happy clappy mob at Brighton, as Ming was droning on. His delivery is almost expressionless. Oh dear a personality disorder mentioned by me. But you know what makes me fume at these high level conferences, is a mob of bored out of their minds supporters, clapping in all the pauses when Ming said nothing to ignite any enthusiasm whatsoever.
You know, I’ve seen more life in dull ditchwater, more spark in a wet suit, more verve in still water. And as for anything running deep at this conference it was surely the underlying bile present in good old Charlie’s speech. At least he has a bit of fire in him somewhere.
What a pasty load of codswallop, they better keep their engines stoked with some new fuel, something with fire and brimstone in it! This lot were as cardboard cut outs, nothing to differentiate them from the wallpaper. Happy snoozes till the next one Nick.
After watching Blair brown nose Bush - in just 45 minutes - and seeing just where they're going I think I'll be voting for Ming the Merciless this year...
It might be nice to tell the next generation how we made a stand on climate change BEFORE it was too late...
Why do commentators state as a given that the the war in Iraq will be over by 2009? How long did the Malay "emergency" last? How long were the French involved in Algeria? How long were the Americans enmeshed in Vietnam? Who knows, with any real certainty, how long the Bush/Blair legacy will last in Iraq?
I liked Ming's speech. Although it wasn't the very best (the jokes weren't amazing, but still amusing, especially the Hurricane Gordon bit) he gave the Lib Dems who didn't know much about him a chance to see a bit of his character and history.
He also seemed to be genuinely passionate about his cause, always a good thing for a politician. The Liberal Democrats are still holding their mid-ground. Can they expand their base right, or perhaps left?
Well perhaps 5% of a loaf is better than none but green taxes hardly adds up to a range of policies which addreess the multitude of issues that the current administration has failed totally to deliver on or has made progress at an unsustainable cost.
Just take the energy / transport issue. The government has put up car costs ( and is proposing even more draconian ways of raising costs) to get us to use public transport and when we do there are train and bus fares rise to get us off the trains, with again even more draconian rises planned for those who want to go to work on time. All because government seems incapable of delivering the increase in transport capacity required. Nearly a decade after coming to power Cross Rail is still a fantasy project which even if built fails to address a key issue of there being no meaningful public transport link to Heathrow for the millions who live in the Thames Valley Corridor even though Crossrail will pass within a mile of the ever expanding airport. Just how are people in the Thames Valley supposed to get to Heathrow with a 25 kg suitcase? Put it on the back of their bike?
Now the LD's propose Green Taxes to again try and reduce demand and thus CO2. Well why don't they suggest something constructive like taxing fossil petroleum and using the revenue to subsidise bio-diesel which is CO2 neutral? OK tax gas but use revenue to subsidise improved home insulation and energy saving boilers for senior citizens. Enable & encorage change, don't just penalise.
Why can't any of the parties get away from just raising the cost to limit demand rather than actually try to deliver a real solution? Probably because none of them seem capable of delivering anything with any tolerable level of efficiency or reliability except the bills .
For all Ming Campbell's talk of substance, there seemed to be some rather large holes in his talk of policy.
He mentioned "green taxes" but not their rate or format. He only provided numbers for tax decreases.
He sat on the fence over Israel. He seemed to hint at a two-state solution, but once again provided no details. Won't his proposed taxation on cars have a massive impact on the poor?
His slamming of Labour was substantive, but somewhat lacking in truth. Funding to education and the NHS has massively increased in the past decade.
And finally, for a man who ostensibly disdains soundbites and slogans, he came out with an absolute whopper: "Terrorism thrives when civil liberties are denied". Did anyone else do a double-take when that was mentioned? When has terrorism been a result of a denial of civil liberties?
Nick, I'm usually impressed with the quality of your reporting but to say "The war in Iraq will be long gone by the time of the next election" is nonsense.
There is no way that mess is going to be sorted out in the 4 years or so to the next General Election. And IF Blair and Bush were "long gone" by that time it'll probably be because they're behind bars when the Law finally catches up with them!
Ming may be banging on about substance but he does lack flair and that's going to make things difficult for him as leader.
He comes across as both a bit too wooden and a touch too earnest.
He reminds me of a well-intentioned elderly relative whom I don't have the heart to contradict or to say "start living in the real world / smell the coffee!"
Ming's speech did have some substance. Unlike Panorama.
But of course, the main question is... Will Ming really bring the Liberal Democrats away from the world of Spin and War debate?
With Climate Change so big on the agenda these days, it's little wonder that he's moved on to that point.
But I wonder how "fresh" that idea really is...
Apologies Colin, Pete and others. I didn't mean to predict that the conflict in Iraq would be long gone by the next election. My point was that the political controversy over whether Tony Blair should have backed the invasion of Iraq would, by then, be political history and, therefore, no longer of huge value to the Lib Dems. Forgive my sloppy writing!
Nick
Nick, wow, I was really impressed. There's no doubt the early months were a rough ride, but today he stood up there and delivered something rather cracking. I thought it was well balanced (e.g. his critique of both sides in Israel) but, at the same time, hit on that radical 'niche' that you do need to appeal to in order to attract votes. More especially, Ming may not necessarily have the overflowing charisma of his two main opponents, but I think voters may be getting tired of making their minds up based on the charm factor. Ming isn't old in as much as he's old school -- he's got a lot of stature, speaks a lot of sense, and, for the first time really, he came across as very statesmanlike today.
A good day for the Lib Dems then.
Pity I'm a South African citizen and can't vote for them!
I must admit that I enjoyed Ming's speech. He was rather wooden and the applause was forced and distracting, but between the jibes at David and Tony, I thought he got around to looking somewhat like a leader. I must admit though that it all feels too political to me. Why should he make no mention of Charles Kennedy? Because he wants it to appear as though the party has moved on. This is the problem, it is all about appearance, illusory.
Do they inspire you to head to the polls? No, folks, it's more of the same. I do hope the next two conferences show some bulk behind the appearance, but I'll let the audience decide how likely that is.
But as I said, I enjoyed his speech. It provided me with some light entertainment.
Well, Ming is an experienced politician who has experienced success outside of politics as well. He is a stronger charcter than Charles Kennedy or Mark Oaten (who should have resigned from politics). However, the Lib Dems are falling into the same old trap of stupid policies. Green policies will never be popular as long as people drive cars. Add in the Wheelie Bin Gestapo now being employed by councils across the UK, people are now being turned off by "green".
But the major problem for the Lib Dems is that they have not learned from Labour - unite, even if only in public. The fact is the Lib Dems is now publicly split, and unless this is resolved quickly, Ming can orate all day but have nothing to show for it in the end.
A fine performance by Ming - not brilliant but a good attempt. One thing that can be promised - even with its sometimes vauge explanation of policy (it is a few years before the election guys!) it will still contain 500% more substance than either of the other so called leaders.
Blair is a spent force and Cameron is making the mistake of following Blair's discredited approach to politics with everything he does. Whatever people say about Ming he's still the best we've got to chose from next time we take to the polls.
Sadly, Ming is all about positioning and popularity. Behind the curtain is little policy or character. Normally, I wouldn't make a comment like that, but the more he claims the policy and moral high ground the greater the whiff of bullshit. Sizzle, not sausage.
CK had charisma, Chris Huhne had policies, and Ming has wit. The problem is, none of these egos is the full package, and why none of them is a leader of substance. A little more integrity would go some way to resolving this problem.
I’m no cheerleader for the Prime Minister, but the mainline of Labour party policy and leadership is hitting the ball down the centre of the fairway, not veering off like the self-delusion of the Liberal Democrats, or the illusion of the Conservatives.
I predict another 20 years of Labour rule while politics matures.
I was impressed by Ming's speech. I might vote for him now.
Hey Nick, nice to see you slumming it down here!
Ming is not the kind of leader who will win the Lib Dems an extra 20-30 seats at the next election. But it won't be that kind of election anyway.
Unless there's a seismic change in the opinion polls between now and then, that election campaign is going to be dominated by speculation about a hung parliament.
In such an election Ming "a serious man for serious times (C)The Times" is exactly the kind of leader the Lib Dems need to avoid being squeezed into oblivion.
Well, if the Lib Dems are so concerned over anything 'green', how about campaigning to ban the Grand Prix and progs like Top Gear and other similar puriles that are mitting carbon faster than we can say them.
Put your money where your mouth is, Lib Dems.
It may be heresy, but I have to admit to being disappointed with Ming's performance yesterday. Its not so much his physical age, more his style. Unfortunately this constant refering back to 50 year old faded pix of him as an athlete and surrounding himself with beautiful young women only serves to draw attention to his age! Ming and those who advise him need to move on and try at least to focus on the meat rather than the gravy......highlight our policies which are in sharp contrast to those of Labour (can't comment on Tory policies until they have some) and treat references to his age with the contempt they deserve.
I've seen Ming at close quarters in public and party meetings, speaking both at conferences with 1000 people, and off-the-cuff in village halls with 15 people. I'd agree that he's better at the smaller meetings than the big set pieces - some of the action yesterday during his arrival looked contrived - but to say that he is all "positioning and popularity" is completely false. Ming's strength, unlike Brown & Cameron, is policy, and he believes in what he says.
Oh dear, watching Ming yesterday was pretty cringe-making - all that effort, all that jaw-clenching concentration, those forced rictus smiles, and still I felt that there was no natural energy, real political passion that came over. Modern politics and the demands of the media are a harsh combination and Ming was found wanting. Sarah Teather in the audience was grimacing with anguish during Ming's speech. He is a good example of a shadow spokesman highly respected in his field (foreign affairs) who has been promoted to the top job without the sheer flair and substance needed to convince those outside the conference hall. All gravitas, no zing in Ming. Beside him, Gordon Brown seems positively relaxed and natural. Quite an achievement!
Sorry Ming old chap, jolly good try and all that but I think the pipe and slippers beckon before too long. Toodle pip!
Ross at number 13. If you are a South African citizen in Britain (or a citizen of any Commonwealth country) you can vote in British elections.
Erlend
Nick, don't apologise for the prediction on Iraq. The fact is that America may not be out of Iraq by 2009 but Britain certainly will. (Probably sooner, I think, and much to the chagrin to those who want to use it as an election issue.)
With great respect, Keith, Ming has displayed on multiple occasions his capacity for gaming the system, or getting a free ride on a point of argument yanked out of context. It may be true buts it's a distortion, which betrays a lack of respect for his opponents and constituents. More crudely, it’s the political equivalent of a bag of sweets being offered by a dirty old man.
As with any of the bad habits displayed by politicians, media, and the public, it’s something that we would benefit from eradicating. Yes, people can dig their heels in, point to someone else, or wave excuses around, but it’s better these things are identified, better alternatives proposed, and gentle encouragement given. This requires honesty, integrity, and fortitude.
Surely the time has arrived for the Lib-Dem Politicians and all their faithful supporters who regularly waste their valuable votes supporting the lib-Dems crackpot unworkable policies, to disband and join one or other of the real contenders.