Head or Heart?

I’m was in a dilemma over between my head or my heart. My head was telling me to go with a candidate that would win over the nation, my heart was telling me that someone else had the expertise and experience that would set out a clear and radical Lib Dem take in the centre ground.

In the head my head won out and I will be supporting Simon Hughes to succeed Charles Kennedy as leader. He has the ability to get the party driving forward, the experience to lead and the passion, which clearly comes across to the voters in a charismatic way. Chris Huhne has valuable experience and I think he would make an excellent Shadow Chancellor. However, I think of the options open to us Simon Hughes is capable of making the greatest progress in the next general election. However, I think we may need to work on him a little about consideration for Scotland.

All of the candidates once they are capable of getting the party working together I can see taking us on to gain even more MPs but I can see Simon doing this fastest, most vigorously and with the greatest results.

Following Ed Balls incorrect statement on Question Time last night falsely accusing the Lib Dems of not balancing the books, I think Sir Menzies Campbell is premature in his declaration of future tax policy. This is clearly leaning on Economic Liberalism without too much interest to Social Liberalism and is liable to create a chasm in the party. This is one of the areas currently under review in meeting the challenge and already we are seeing major diversities in ideas from our candidates.

I do not think that our tax message dampened our impact in May. I feel that how it was delivered in some areas had the impact. After all here in Scotland we won East Dunbartonshire one of Scotland’s most prosperous areas and came within a hairs breadth of representing the fine people of Morningside in Edinburgh South.