Monday, March 15, 2010

20 years of...LibDem leaders

Who's been the best Lib Dem leader in your opinion?

Paddy Ashdown, 1988-1999

Charles Kennedy, 1999-2006

Ming Campbell, 2006-2007

Nick Clegg, 2007-

9 comments:

Ben E said...

Paddy Ashdown without a doubt. He was the finest Prime Minister this country never had. It's a shame that his extra-marital activities overshadowed first-class leadership skills and true grit. The man had balls (witness his trips to the former Yugoslavia among other things) which is more than can be said for our last three leaders.

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...

Paddy Ashdown with Charles Kennedy second, big fan of Charles.

Jim Jepps said...

Kennedy then Ashdown then Clegg then Ming... oh but Vince Cable would be the best leader the Lib Dems never had.

James Dowden said...

Charles Kennedy drunk is a better man than either of the subsequent leaders sober, if you excuse the gratuitous misquotation...

Stan Moss said...

I'm not a LibDem voter, but I used to really like Vince Cable.

He's obviously very articulate, cuddly and charismatic.

However, I'm starting to think he was being prematurely sanctified. The old British habit that if you overhear that someone is Good or Bad, then everyone goes along and baaaa...

So Cable became Saint Vince Cable in no time at all.

I watched a couple of interviews recently. One, I think, was on the Andrew Marr Show. Cable said nothing. Literally, nothing. Lots of 'maybe', 'it could be', 'everything is possible'. Extremely wishy washy.

Very disappointing. Because it's exactly the kind of criticism normally thrown at Cameron.

Oh...I almost forgot. Paddy Ashdown was the best out of those four.

Anita said...

Paddy Ashdown, followed by Charles Kennedy.

Is there anyone who *actually* likes Nick Clegg the same way there were people who would really admire Ashdown or Kennedy?

claude said...

Charles Kennedy, definitely.

Anonymous said...

The treatment handed out to Chucky by the Murdoch press over his alleged fondness for HoC Scotch was nothing short of disgusting.

FWIW I voted Clegg for leader - but wouldn't have done so had Charlie (or Paddy, or Vince) been on the ticket.

Strategist said...

IMHO, Huhne might be the best man the LibDems never had as leader.
Would have been a better choice than "Calamity" leastways.