Ming has called it a day

Well, when should you call it a day? Today obviously! Menzies Campbell has announced he's standing down as Lib dem leader. His reason- too much discussion on the leadership, which is taking away from real political discussion- that being what policies they can nick from other parties. (Sorry, it was too easy a hit!)

I know I'm not supposed to, but I actually feel sorry for Ming tonight. According to the BBC he has returned home to his wife in Edinburgh to be consoled. It would only be natural for him to want to be around people he can trust- he certainly won't find many of them in the corridors of Westminster.

If it's one thing that Lib dems do well, its getting rid of leaders, and then appearing as if they are whiter than white to the public. Simon Hughes appeared tonight on our screens all morose(he'd definitely practised the frowning. Perhaps he's having tips from Cameron's team?) but in my opinion, there's no hiding the fact that Ming was pushed. Now that the dust has settled, and we've all stopped being so excited about the snap election, the Lib dems have sat down in their leaflet strewn offices to plot and plan the next leadership coup. Conspiring against one of the best leader they ever had, arguably, in Charles Kennedy, they now know that they have to compete with the young, or the younger guns in Brown and Cameron, so Ming had to go.

If we're still interested by then, the Lib dem leadership should be decided upon by about December. This is surely an avid attempt by a lib dem press officer to make sure that the Lib dems stay in the press until then. Bring on the candidates- Nick Clegg, Simon Hughes, Chris Huhne. What about a woman? Wouldn't that really put a spanner in the works?

Whatever happens, I hope that Ming can still play a part in active politics. Us politicians who are criticised for our age on a regular basis have to stick together. Ok, so he wasn't the most inspiring leader ever, but I don't think he deserved to be made a scape goat for Lib dem failings.

Let the battle for the leadership commence.