An age old question
We are the party of substance. That's the message Ming Campbell wants to go out from Brighton today. It's a message that's supposed to work on many levels.
To his activists he's saying, "we are not a party of symbolism".
Translation - Charles Kennedy was all symbols and no gong. Let's consign populist gestures and woolly thinking to the past along with him.
To the country he's saying, "we are not a party of spin".
Translation - I may not be as photogenic as David Cameron but at least you know what I think.
To the media he's saying, "political debate in this country is in danger of losing sight of what matters".
Translation - do stop going on about how old I am.
Before you shout "hear hear" just dwell for a moment on the fact that his speech is to be preceded by a slide show (they couldn't afford a video) showing Ming the world-class athlete, Ming the fighter pilot (actually, he was only a passenger in the jet in the photo) and Ming the campaigner alongside Nelson Mandela.
Ming began the week, you may recall, with a photo opportunity with "Campbell's crackers" (er, women MPs to you and me). Later he declared that he knew the Arctic Monkeys had sold more records than the Beatles (which they haven't).
The Lib Dems are in danger of looking just a little too anxious about their new leader's image. They winced at of Ming in a wheelchair wrapped in a car rug declaring, "go back to your constituencies and prepare for death". They fear that all anyone knows about him is his age.
They want, quite understandably, people to know that their man started life in a Glasgow tenement and made a success in sport and the law before turning to politics. They know that they've traded a well-known and well-liked leader for one many can't even name.
Perhaps though they should heed their leader's speech. Ming's predecessors won the public's attention by taking stands on issues of substance. Ashdown did it on the plight of Hong Kong Chinese and Bosnia. The fact that he had been in the counted, I suspect, for little. Kennedy did it on Iraq. The fact that he started life in a Highland croft scarcely mattered.
Voters do want to know about the lives and the backgrounds of their leaders. We, in the media, have a voracious appetite for it but Campbell is right - he'll be judged by substance not stills of his past life.
PS: They've just played that slide show and the conference laughed at the "Top Gun" image of Ming the fighter (pilot) passenger.
I'm 
Comments
Nothing has changed... It's a very grey man in a suit.
Oh my... THIS is the party that's supposed to be against spin? Ming the Fighter Pilot (Passenger) who describes 60 as youthfully middleaged?
I like Ming Campbell, he strikes me as a decent sort of a bloke!
If they are to be judged on substance, then they are doomed. The whole policy (hehe) package is about positioning the party to the Left as the coalition party with NuLab and Ming's chum Brown in a hung parliament. How they will escape the oppopbrium of propping up the discredited and universally-disliked labour party hasn't figured yet
Nick, your post says it all - why are you having to offer translations? A bit less of the politically correct, diplomatic messages requiring decoding by political editors, and a bit more plain speaking are what is required if the Lib-Dems want to take advantage of their current opportunities and make an impact on the electorate!
I'm sorry, but Charles Kennedy is the only man for the job. After leading his party to their best ever result for a generation, to be cruelly stabbed in the back by a bunch of duplicitous hypocrites was total bad news for the future of his party. Menzies Campbell will lose all the gains made, simply because he has no presence, doesn't look happy, and when he smiles, it looks like a grimace. personally, I wouldn't vote for a party which has shown itself in this light, and I cannot see anything but enmity between Kennedy and Campbell. Shame.
Man of substance. Grey suits? didn't the Tories flatline when they tried this with IDS? Unfortunatly Ming has the charisma of a damp packet of crisps.
Do you think that Ming's attempts to focus on 'substance' are achievable, or are they but a vanity of politicians trying to be 'the guy next door'? Afterall, even Tony Blair has reiterated on many occassions his committment to 'the issues', while his press office continued to spin out of control.
The appearance of Mr. "Perma-tan" Cameron is only a vindication of the fact that 'policy' is dead, in the political arena. So, is Ming in fact just beating a dead horse, and avoiding the realities of modern politics?
I'm sure translations are not required, except to gain some journalistic authority over the story...
The fact that a slide show was used instead of video because they "couldn't afford" one (if true) at least suggests that they will not waste money on unnecessary shows of triumph.
I'm surprised that the media shows such agism, in this politically correct day and age.
You have to love the picture of Ming as an athlete (https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5365164.stm). The number on his shirt says everything: 3.
Unfortunately age and image are problems that the Liberal Democrats are grappling with right now. Everyone in the conferenceis witnessing how destructive this can be. How they wish they could be concentrate on issues instead. The pressures could implode and bring the party down even further. The electorate is more interested in policy issues and the sooner the in-fighting stops the better for the party. Charles Kennedy was well received but he has still some mountains to climb before he can eclipse Ming Campbell. Time is of essence here but age will continue to dogg Ming as long as he remains leader.
Much of the media are spending so much time attacking Campbell that I am beginning to think they might stand a chance at government. Parties should be judged on policy and where possible honesty not some media hype about an individual's age or background.
What a wonderful choice - Labour & Conservative (Is there a difference, these days?) past and present performance is so disastrous that even a weak alternative might be better.
You have to love the picture of Ming as an athlete (https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5365164.stm). The number on his shirt says everything: 3.
Unfortunately age and image are problems that the Liberal Democrats are grappling with right now. Everyone in the conference is witnessing how destructive this can be. How they wish they could concentrate on issues instead. The pressures could implode and bring the party down even further. The electorate is more interested in policy issues and the sooner the in-fighting stops the better for the party. Charles Kennedy was well received but he has still some mountains to climb before he can eclipse Ming Campbell. Time is of essence here but age will continue to dogg Ming as long as he remains leader.
Still early days for Campbell. His early days as leader have been a breeze compared to those of Steel, Ashdown and Kennedy! He and his advisors should stop worrying about his age and get down to serious business.
But if they do then will they get any coverage from the likes of Nick Robinson? Of course the public love all this 'personality stuff' - that's why fewer and fewer folk can be bothered to take an interest or even vote...
The caption on your picture states that it shows Ming with 'some of the party's prospective parliamentary candidates'. I can see 4 other people, who include Jo Swinson MP and Jenny Willot MP. So not, in fact, prospective.
Nick Robinson comments that the Lib Dems are too worried about Mings age, Nicks reporting on this is far from balanced and he seems determined to keep it in the public domain. His report on ±«Óãtv news last night was typical and could have been part of a Tory Political broadcast. It consisted of Nick carrying round a cardboard cutout of Ming and asking people if they thought he was too old. Only 10% of his two minute slot covered anything of substance. The Lib Dems have enough trouble trying to get common sense out of the daily mail without Nick joining them. There have been and still are some great political reporters around but unless Nick concentrates on what is important, he won't go down in history as one of them.
Why be cynical for cynicism's sake, Nick?
Ming Campbell is one of the most honourable, distinguished and successful members of British society. He should rightly be proud of the achievements he has earned throughout his life; in many different spheres.
He has come from deprivation to become an athlete, a QC, an MP, and the leader of a major political party in 60 odd years. That really is some going. And he still has more to achieve!
He has accomplished in 60% of a lifetime what 1,000 other lives will not achieve between them.
I will not be voting for the Lib Dems, they are in control of West Berkshire Council & that is enough for me. They do nothing for the lower-paid people & do not care about the social housing situation either which is a disgrace(no political party ever does, its not sexy enough). I am afraid they are all out of touch or choose not to see, what is really happening to our lovely country.
Nick,
Have you seen that another Labour donor has been arrested? What are your thoughts on that?
This is all politics. Some say one thing in active language and other by passive language. We hear different format of sentence but meaning is same. Do you agree?
I met him in Edinburgh in August and he came across as an old-fashioned lawyer who was just plain arrogant. He's well and truly lost touch with his roots.
Roll on Kennedy.
Couldn't afford a video? Oh come on, that's a cheap and from what I can tell undfounded shot by a ±«Óãtv correspondent who should know better.
Aren't the Liberal Democrats the only main party that still has net assets, instead of owing millions? I suppose it must be easier when you're spending someone else's money, whether that's the ±«Óãtv's, a loan or the tax-payers'...
I thought the message was clear enough - the chelsea tractor drivers are going to be paying rather a lot more, and the hardworking families of Britain a bit less, towards localised public services of improving quality.
Come on Nick & Co, it can't be that hard to work out, can it?
Same old, same old. My local council went Lib-Dim, & whilst that took out a bunch of self-serving Liebour chancers (remember the Durham Cobbler's campaign?) things here haven't changed for the better. The thought of them running UKplc terrifies me. Not that it would be UKplc for long - they'd have us shackled into the EUssr before Ming got through the front door of No. 10.
Focusing on the image of the party leader and then decrying others for doing so is a little rich, isn't it?
The most telling point made was about conference delegates laughing at the fighter plane shot. That's exactly the point: the LDs are happy with their leader, their party and their policies and they're happy to laugh at something funny when the other two parties' members would be squirming, wondering what they are supposed to do.
Yes, Ming's an older man in a grey suit. What do you want from a politician? He has proven abilities, a united party and ambition. That's the story
I find it funny that, as an eighteen year old, I have much less of a problem with Ming's age than those considerably older than myself and if I remember correctly, some of the youngest Lib Dem MPs supported Ming in the leadership contest in the first place. If his age is less of an issue to the 'youth' within the party (or otherwise), why is it such an issue with anyone older? Can the assumption can be made that Ming's age is only an issue because it's constantly being made into one (through embarrassing Lib Dem spin or cartoons in newspapers, for example) and not because his age has had any real effect on his ability to lead?
I don't think I'm entirely in the position to judge, but maybe it's time that people learn to "do stop going on" about it.
I cant say im imrpessed with your 'couldnt afford the video' and your constant comments about the mans age.
I dont care how much money the lib dems have. I dont care how old ming is. I also dont care about any politicians sex life, what they eat, what music they like, what they wear or what they look like.
I elect politicians for just ONE reason. That is to make good decisions for the country.
Blair has consistantly failed on this, despite the smart suits, the celebrity mates and the big smile.
Im voting for ming.
Unfortunately the best speaker at conference with vision, eloquence and charisma is getting on a plane back to Russia. Grigory Yavlinsky a giant amongst hamsters.
I disagree with the commentator who says ming has all the personality of a damp packet of crisps. Would that he had....
The message in Ming Campbell's speech is much neede and would be well heeded. Political parties have to stand for certain principlesor they become mere focus groups which should not then be funde from the public purse.
Ming's lot is a tough one.
Paddy had control when the general election saw voters elect "anyone by the tories"
Kennedy had control when the public wanted to vote for "a little less labour"
Ming has control as the Tories pick up in the polls, and Labour slip. So he'll have to face an electorate facing a decision between Tory and Labour.
And historically they don't tend to make that decision and then vote Lib Dem.
What's all this guff about the Lib Dems when there's an important political story today?!
Substance abuse?
I find this very sad. Ming is an admirable man and a perfectly serious, able and dedicated politician who now has to compromise his dignity to offset personal criticism, not from the electorate but from the media.
The winner of the election will be the man who suffers the least personal damage from the media coconut shy which awaits any politician who dares to lift his or her head between now and the general election.
As a political journalist Nick, you wield more power than any half a million of us mere voters. You may say that you take the responsibilities of your position seriously but I think that when they smell blood, political journalists in Britain, including yourself, behave more like a gang of bullies in a school playground.
As it happens I don't think that Ming's problem is that he is 60. It's that he LOOKS EIGHTY AND ACTS OLDER. I know a number of eighty year olds who look and act a lot more feisty than he does.
We're talking about someone who is putting himself forward as a potential British Prime Minister, to sit round a table with the likes of Putin, Bush's successor (phew!), Ahmadinejad and Angela Merkel. Come on, folks, get real!
Message 19 from Pat - actually, the Conservatives have controlled West Berkshire Council for the last 18 months, with 27 seats to the Liberal Democrats 24 seats.
If you don't like the way your Council is run, fine - blame a Tory.
"...Voters do want to know about the lives and the backgrounds of their leaders. We, in the media, have a voracious appetite for it."
I wish you guys didn't have a voracious appetite for it and were more interested in raising the level of political debate rather than reducing it to the level of cheap soap opera. As evidenced by your couldn't afford a video quip - you're more interested in the cheap gag anyway. Besides Nick - aren't you too old for tabloid journalism?
Nick, you must have realised by now that you have a great number of LibDem followers on your blogs. Why do you keep upsetting them? Why do you keep talking about their leader knowing that he will never become a PM (or even reach his sell by date)? Why don't you answer their request to explain to them the LibDem policies that their men couldn't explain? How can taxing everything that moves in the UK save The Planet? How can forcing people not to use Chelsea trucks and generally stop travelling raise more money? How can
they raise tax on those with over £ 100k a year knowing that the rich become rich because they know how to pay little or no tax at all? (and that includes rich Tories, New Labourists and LibDems). And how do you think that those who have easily exceeded the £ 100k under New Labour (including GPs, Ministers, Civil servants and so on) are going to react to higher taxes? This is all your confused LibDem followers ask you to do. Not a lot, isn't it?
I am no fan of Ming and I think he comes across very badly, but I think that Nick's (and the ±«Óãtv's) coverage of his leadership has been terrible.
Nick's comment about the Lib Dems not being able to afford a video was rather childish.
Worse still have been the constant attacks on Ming because of his age. I wonder if Nick's blog entry would be appropriate if its title were "a question of colour" and the Lib Dem leader of the day happened to be black?
Overall, the coverage smells of shameful agism and biased intolerance- the sort of journalism I would expect from Fox News, not the ±«Óãtv.
I feel that even though it is wrong to judge a political party purely by their leader, it is impossible not to do just that. It is after all the key question, can this person represent the country to the world? Tony Blair, in my mind, is still unforgiven for sending us into Irag. David Cameron has invented a new level of smarm - I do not want him speaking for me. At least Ming is honest and I would take his sixty-five years over Cameron's thirty-nine any day of the week.
Wasn't it the Lib Dems who have suggested that if they got in to power (some hope) that they would increase the car tax to such an extent that most cars would have a tax bill of £2000 a year? And 4x4's etc much more than that?
Are they insane? Do they really think anyone will vote for that?
My policy on the environment would be very simple and solve the problem in one foul swoop, although everyone ignores this obvious solution, we simply ban the sale of Deisel. Totally.
Then in every petrol station instead of Diesel, bio fuel (vegetable oil) would be sold tax free (say 25p per liter) normal petrol would be continued as unlike diesel engines for petrol cars there is no instant alternative.
The result would be that pretty much 99% of the UK population would buy a diesel car which like i said would need no modifications to run on vegetable oil and would actually run better for it. This in turn would be better for the environment becuase of the massive drop in UK emissions to practically zero as the only thing coming out of exhausts would be water and it would produce a massive boost in the economy because lorries etc would cost considerably less to move things around.
So whats the problem? If the Lib Dems are serious about tacking climate change then why don't they suggest this?
And whats all this talk about banning flying or overly taxing it to save the environment? Do the above and it will solve all our problems.
Of course the government prefer to raise tax to bully us in to doing what they like rather than offering a reward.....