Age was no barrier for the great Liberal leader William Gladstone, who became prime minister for the fourth time at the age of 82.
But Menzies Campbell, a sprightly 66, has quit as leader of the Liberal Democrats amid falling poll ratings.
Leading LibDem MPs say “Ming” Campbell was a victim of ageism, particularly from the press, where cartoonists mercilessly portrayed him with a Zimmer frame and pension book.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is a decade younger, while Conservative leader David Cameron, riding high in the polls, is just 41.
What do you think? Was Ming too old for the constant demands of today’s politics, with 24-hour news and regular newspaper polls?
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10 comments so far
The answer must be “no, but…”. He was not ineffective because of his age but because he was bland and uninspiring.
- Posted by OllyThere seem to be two kinds of older people: the ones that use their experiences and accumulated wisdom to inspire; or those that do genuinely seem uninterested in today, more interested in living for the past. Menzies is of the latter.
Of course, the more important question is who will take up the Lib Dem post: we are faced with having to choose between bland characters and those who lost the race the first time around. Hardly a future government…
I think he missed his chance after Ashdown left.
Right now however, Clegg and Huhne are responsible for his downfall, stabbing him in the back as they did so well at conference, and everyone talks of them taking over??
I think not.
- Posted by Harold WitfordDavid Laws should be the next leader.
- Posted by GavinLibDems have done the same as the Labour Party when they elected Michael Foot as Leader.
- Posted by Ale brownGood man but too old for the general electors.
I don’t think it has anything to do with age. He was uninspiring and unconvincing in the Commons. Has anyone seen Ron Paul in the US? Now there’s someone with energy and charisma.
- Posted by MummyfunsterAge was immaterial; Ming was far too gentlemanly. His diffidence and apparent, though slight nervousness, did not fit him for Party leadership or coping with the level of Commons debate with its sneering brand of Blair/Brown politics. Those who offered Ming the post, especially with the circumstances prevailing at the time, were thoughtless and irresponsible and utterly incapable of assessing the impact of the rising pressures to which their new leader would be exposed. Even the “Menzies/Ming” name business brought unnecessary, cruel hilarity and denigrating comment in the Media which did harm to the Party. Ming, is an admirable person, who has been hurt by his unthinking and out-of-touch Party faithful who once again have displayed their lack of competence and foresight. Whomsoever is to step into the breach it is to be hoped that they wear the shoes that compliment Ming’s suit and certainly not a pair of sandals. Peter Maddock.
(E-Mail: - NOT please for publication).
- Posted by Peter MaddockI agree with alot of the above - it is true that Ming did not exactly blaze with passion, but it is also true that ‘the media’ constantly put a negative focus on his age. His age was reported as though it was some insurmountable problem. I think he has been done an injustice by the Media and his party. He could have used his age and experience to gain ground on many issues - NHS, pensions and the elderly, education etc. The Lib Dems have been far too quick to pull the trigger.
- Posted by AlexIt sounds to me as if it was a bit of a witch hunt and has nothing to do with age.
- Posted by JuneOf course ‘Ming’ had to go. We live in a flim-flam age where someone who knows something and has seen a few things is definitely NOT wanted. What is now wanted is a TV-friendly celeb who can do the trembly lower lip when collective sentimental gush about trivialities must be echoed. With a few exceptions, electors below 45 years of age have never had a day of real anxiety. In fact, you have to be in your sixties to have the balanced, sensible attitudes which result from difficult and insecure lives. Amusingly, Gordon Brown definitely doesn’t fit and, barring disasters, he’ll be out at the next general election. And if there is a disaster, well, the Tonys and Daves will be shown up as the immature tricksters and conmen that they are. Trouble is, solid, mature citizens with experience of doing a real job in the real world, now don’t stand a chance of becoming MPs. So, the last place to look for the next Churchill is the House of Commons.
- Posted by John LambleNick Clegg’s comments were hardly ‘backstabbing’; they were blown out of all proprtion by jounralists. I didn’t see anything about Huhne in realtion to that either though.
Lib Dems need someone with charisma and political weight now, I just hope whoever thy get has what it takes…
- Posted by Thorgrimm