Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, 66, was the safe pair of hands the party needed after the resignation of Charles Kennedy and the widespread negative publicity over Kennedy’s drinking problems.
Here was a heavyweight who could make the youthful David Cameron appear callow by comparison and put up a good defence against the great clunking fist of Gordon Brown.
But early on, his less than sure-footed appearances at Prime Minister’s Question Time in the Commons started a feeling within the party that his age might actually be a problem rather than an asset.
Even if 66 is not a great age, Campbell can at times look every one of his years, the argument ran, and that therefore it might be better to replace him with a younger leader before the next election.
Campbell himself says he believes it is perfectly possible for him to be doing the job when he is 72 — two elections away.
What do you think — is Ming the man for the LibDems?
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10 comments so far
Image is everything in this day and age, and he just doesn’t have it.
- Posted by CNK GreenI like him, and think that he’d have made a first-class party chairman, but I’m afraid he does have something of the dead sheep about him. His public utterances are repetitive (how many times can he quote General Sir Richard Dannatt on the subject of Iraq?) and uncompelling. The LibDems should be making serious political headway in these times, yet they seem to be heading backwards. Kennedy, though a positive leader, had lawyerly reservation when he should have had bite. The LibDems need a strong, forthright, probably younger leader who can robustly engage with the current issues rather than constantly dredging up the issues of the Blair era, and who can rise above internal ideological conflicts without just sweeping them under the carpet. Nick Clegg should take over right now.
- Posted by DouglasThe LibDems need a charismatic, younger leader if they are ever to be anything other than the ‘third party’ of British politics.
- Posted by Jamie123I think it is positive. An older man can seem more trust worthy and has life experience that can bring good policys. It will atract the older persons vote too. Let him have a go
- Posted by NigelThe ageist media is unkind to Ming. He is the wise and principled voice of reason committed to upholding our precious civil liberties which have been contemptuously expunged under the authoritarian Blair regime. Brown is no different and Cameron does not understand the needs of the majority of voters having led a privileged life and having never had a real job. The only thing stopping me voting Lib Dem is that they would almost certainly tax me more!
- Posted by ParkNo to Ageism
No to Image being the be all and end all
No to Instability
Yes to Substance
- Posted by James LazzariYes to Honesty
Yes to A caring passion and enthusiasm
Yes to anyone who can and wants to try and sort out the mess we are in!
Age is not a factor in whether someone makes a good leader. What is at stake is the creativity,courage,innovation and presence of a person. Our current leaders of all parties are either all about spin,political correctness and are all rather laclustre. Ming’s age is not a factor what is a factor with all the leaders of Britain’s main parties is they lack that determination to serve the real issues that matter most. They prefer to spend valuable effort on celebrity or what is thought to be pc.
- Posted by Mr DonitzI think Mr Campbell is an honest, principled and capable politician.However in a democracy will women under forty vote for leader of pensionable age whose first name is Menzies?
- Posted by rjpalmerOnly time will tell.
- Posted by Haydn EvansThe real test will come, I’m guessing soon, when there’s a General Election.
Age isn’t really an issue, but will he have the stamina, to battle for the duration of a prolonged election campaign?
Labour have lost credibility but I can’t see them losing.
To those who claim “image is everything” and the need for a “young leader”, face it, “image” and youth have brought the problems you are facing, on. Don’t be so shallow and pedantic.
It’s substance that matters, that is if you’re interested in actually achieving something beyond the same old, same old, that your young turks have been shoving down your throats.
For goodness sakes, stop acting like high schoolers thinking that cliques and labels compensates for for what’s lacking.
- Posted by Jenny