Today in Politics: Huhne trumps Clegg

By Andrew Grice

Chris Huhne has found his unique selling point in his battle with Nick Clegg for the Liberal Democrat leadership. Although Huhne's allies admit their man would lose a "beauty contest" with the more telegenic Clegg, Huhne is portraying himself as the man who will make the third party's voice heard.

Never backwards in coming forwards, the former journalist is trumpeting his coup in winning media airtime during Labour's crisis over secret donations. Huhne's letter prompted Scotland Yard to investigate (though it would have done anyway) and yesterday he met Durham Police to discuss the Donorgate affair. "It worries me obviously that if we don't get into stories, like for example we managed to do over the last week over the Labour donation, people will have us out of sight and out of mind," Huhne told Radio 4's Today programme this morning.

Clegg has been eclipsed over the Labour scandal, but there is better news for him in a YouGov poll of LibDem members for Sky News. It suggests that Clegg (56%) is ahead of Huhne (44%) among those members who have already voted or made their minds up. But 24% have still not decided how to vote and Huhne's high profile in recent days could push some of them his way. Clegg has felt the full force of what Huhne says their party needs - "sharp elbows". Ouch!

Comments

[Jane]

It's all a bit academic and boring though isn't it? Unless Vince Cable can be convinced to stand, it matters who wins not a jot (she said, sounding like Yoda).

[Jon]

The Lib Dem leadership battle between Clegg and Huhne is just another politcial anti-climax waiting to happen, like the non-election or the hype over who would be included in the Cabinet of 'all the talents'. One of two overly uncharismatic men will be voted in as Lib Dem leader and the party shall continue to barely constitute a blip on the political radar as it has always done.

The Lib Dems suffer from a Catch-22esque dilemma: they have to get into power in order to change the electoral system so they can get into power.

However, they would have at least a snowball's chance in hell if they actually tried to win the 'youff vote' as Cameron has failed so miserably to do.

They can propose to lower the voting age to 16 for a start. At 16 you can volunteer to join the army and die for your country, but you can't vote on who sends you in the first place. This would give them a whole new demographic to appeal to. Then they can propose to abolish university top-up fees and help stop thousands of University students leaving education with crippling debt. Finally they can show that they're actually serious about stopping Global Warming, and without pathetic PR stunts with bicycles.

[maria]

Neither of them are very different, the other week on question time they rarely disagreed on anything. Whichever one ends up as leader it does'nt matter since the other will still have a strong influence over the liberal democrat party. They need to produce policies, and policies that are different, policies that appeal to the apathetic voter because election turnout is dropping and therefore the government isnt even representing a third of the population. They have an oportunity to be a party that people can relate to but they are spending to much time chosing over two very similar people.

[Arya Mohit]

It doesn't matter who the Liberal leader may be, unless they fight to gain proportional representation; the liberal party is doomed to fail.

[Rehana]

The Fight for the leadership of the Liberal Democrat Party holds no intrest to me. As they would not and can not come into power unless England adopts a PR voting system. The media shuould concentrate on the two running parties and there polices instead on a party who only take up labour seats in parliament.

[Muhammad Ali]

The Tories have seen their popularity rise with Cameron in charge and many argue that it is his tender young age which has contributed to improving opinion poll ratings. He has brought a fresh sense of optimism for the Tories.

Nick Clegg, at the age of 40, could bring a similar sense of optimism to the Lib Dems should he win the leadership contest however it is not very feasible to suggest that the Lib Dems will ever win a General Election in the long run simply because the majoritarian system used in this country will never favour them.

[Joel]

I think that assuming that the Lib Dems are a "Lost Cause" is very careless.
It goes without saying that the cantankerous and severly uncharismatic Gordon Brown, would be terrified at the prospect of Clegg coming in. Clegg is already proving to be popular with a much more friendly appeal and his diverse policies, such as that on the Euro and immigration.
They probably wouldn't get into number 10 in the next election, but Labour and DC know they will have to work harder, in order to acquire those votes that could swing into the Lib Dems hands.

[Nathan Akhavan-Moossavi]

This battle, who is interested? It's not as if anyone cares about the Liberal Democrats, let alone what they are.