Apart from the time of year when politicos go to the seaside (or Manchester depending on your party of preference) this is also the time of year when the journos recycle exactly what they said last year.  This is made slightly more complicated by the fact that the change of leader has neseciated a swapping of the words "Ming Campbell" where last year it said "Charles Kennedy"

Can their be any other explanation of this piece in the Independent?

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article1603905.ece

Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh - but the 'leadership in for a tough time' and 'time to quit the comfort zone' must by now be the stuff of collective consciousness rather than news.