Nick Clegg's first major speech this this weekend has gained significant coverage, and significant plaudits, including among the Tory press.  Echoing many of the themes in CentreForum's various education papers (a summary of which can be found here), his combination of a coherent and radical vision of supply side liberalisation alongside the minor but media friendly call to cull the bottom two GCSE pass grades seems to have been a popular one:

BBC: LibDems want parent-run schools

Guardian: Clegg prepares to end state intervention in schools

Spectator: Clegg steps up

Independent: Clegg to call for smaller state in first major speech

PA: Clegg in call to scrap low grades

Sunday Telegraph: Nick Clegg shifts to right

ePolitix: Clegg backs "diversity and choice"

Channel 4 News: Clegg makes first keynote speech

However, what will be more interesting is how the commentators will react, both on the left and right. Watch out for discussion as it filters into the consciousness of the commentariat.

A reasonable news day for the Lib Dems today.

David Cameron's pitch to the Lib Dems over the weekend has drawn a response in the form of stories in most papers - along with a leader column in The Independent ('Beware the siren voices of alliance')

The Telegraph uses its leader to preview tomorrow's leadership result and suggests that, should Clegg win, "three-party politics will resume in earnest." ('Liberal Democrats' big chance')

The Telegraph also sings the praises of Nicol Stephen, the Lib Dem leader north of the border in 'The redemption of Nicol Stephen'

Assuming that the party gets some coverage when the new leader is announced, the Lib Dems should see a rise in their opinion poll rating from, if nothing else, the amount of copy being written about them this week.

Ed Balls has been busy previewing his plans for Primary Schools.  Compulsory foreign language lessons was widely trailed over the weekend.  The Times clearly received a more detailed briefing today. ('Tailored testing for pupils at primaries') which includes giving schools far more flexibility in deciding when individual pupils are ready to take national tests.

In her commentary Alexandra Frean sets these announcements in the context of the Government's approach to children in general ('Focus on the individual is not without problems')

With the Conservatives setting out their own plans and Lib Dem leadership candidates eager to express their views, it seems that education is creeping up the political agenda to a level it hasn't been since the early days of the Blair Government.

Also in today's news:

Courage and Coalition - Peter Preston in The Guardian asks Clegg and Huhne to commit political hara-kire by being more explicit their likely negotiation positions for coalition deals after the next General Election.

The next decade might just belong to the Lib Dems - Martin Kettle - The Guardian (actually appeared on Saturday 8th Dec)

Vince Cable, though new into his job, has hit the ground running in terms of attracting the headlines. 

By not attending a dinner held in honor of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia he has muscled his way into one of the major stories of the day ('A dubious ally who devalues our Government' The Independent). 

We at CentreForum are hoping that the Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats will also be able to catapult our own story into the headlines tomorrow.  We are launching our latest book, 'Globalisation: a liberal response' to which Cable contributed and will help introduce.

The book includes chapters by James Cameron on environment, Philippe Sands on international law, Philippe Legrain on immigration and Anatol Lieven on security.

Tomorrow's event will also feature Sir Samuel Brittan who alongside Cable will debate liberal responses to a globalising world economy.

For more details go to the forthcoming events section of the CentreForum website.

Also in today's news:

'Yes is matters who leads the Lib Dems' Tim Hames - The Times

Huhne: I would scrap Trident (The Observer)

Lib Dems 'too inward looking' (Press Association)

The Times

Huhne and Clegg to go for Lib Dem leadership

First Lib Dem candidate happy to be underdog

The Independent

Huhne: 'We must be radical but rational – you won't see me streaking down the street'

The Iraq effect is far from over in British politics

The Guardian

Paddy Ashdown: My vote is for Clegg

The Telegraph

Better Ming than some of the numpties

Chris Huhne denies plotting against Ming

Chris Huhne: From outsider to contender

Unsurprisingly, the news of Ming Campbell's departure has been met with a huge splash of media coverage.

Perhaps more surprisingly is the amount of agreement that the different commentators and leader writers manage to muster:

The frontpages and sketches talk about the rather bizarre announcement (see Simon Hoggart in The Guardian and Andrew Gimson in The Telegraph).

There is lots of praise for Ming in the leaders.  Not just for his qualities, but for knowing when to go.  The general impression is that the Lib Dems will do well from it. The Telegraph is typical in saying:

"It is inconceivable that the new leader will prove as easy a target [for the Conservatives] in this respect as Sir Menzies." ('Sir Menzies' exit  is good news for politics')

See also the leader in The Guardian ('A sad but necessary departure') The Mail ('Too decent (and dull) for modern politics') and even the Sun:

"After soaring into a commanding lead by mopping up Sir Ming’s deserters, he now risks losing them to a rejuvenated Lib-Dem Party. Once again, the next election is wide open." ('Young guns')

It must be said, though that such a view is not totally unanimous.  The Independent warned of dark days ahead, describing yesterday as an:

"inescapably... bleak day for the Liberal Democrats, which threw a harsh spotlight on the plight of the third party." ('Cold winds are swirling around the third party')

Some people also express an initial view on the likely candidates.  Those that do are of a pretty similar mindset:

"Nick Clegg is so plainly the superior contender for the post that, if he does not win, the party will have opted for collective suicide after committing two murders. "

says Tim Hames in The Times ('Lib Dem assassins don't have a clue').

The Times' leader column is of a similar view:

"If the mediocre Mr Huhne is anointed, his party is doomed to insignificance, while the clearly more capable Mr Clegg seems to understand that a combination of market economics and social conscience will have popular appeal." ('After the Ming')

In a similar vein is Daniel Hannan - though he is not the kind of endorsement Clegg will necessarily welcome.

Huhne's camp makes what will be an unwelcome appearance in many of the analysis columns fingered as are for destabilising Ming.  According to Greg Hurst:

Allies of Mr Huhne were being accused last night of a brutal briefing campaign to destabilise Sir Menzies and hasten a leadership contest before Mr Clegg’s stature and support base within the party grew. ('Rapid exit of conference hero who defied his critics but not the polls')

This story is repeated by Michael White in The Guardian ('Miserable end to an honorable career as Lib Dem leader falls in the final lap')

But although this can't have been the start that Huhne has had, as the FT points out, his campaign has crucial experience from the previous campaign ('Succession fight between Hughes and Clegg')

I suspect this blog will be rather busy in the coming weeks.

After Charles Kennedy resigned at the beginning of 2006, CentreForum published a briefing note entitled 'The battle for liberalism: ten key questions for the next Lib Dem leader'

As the Liberal Democrats head into a new leadership election, many people will be pondering a similar set of questions. 

What are the new questions that the party now faces? And which of the old questions still need to be addressed?

Ming Campbell's leadership of the Lib Dems has come under attack over the last three days in the newspapers.

Both The Independent ('Delayed election revives criticism of Lib Dem leader') and The Telegraph ('Sir Ming warned as Lib Dems seek poll boost') have used rather selective quotes from Lib Dem blogs to suggest that Ming is under coming under great pressure.

Lib Dem bloggers have railed against the highly pejorative use of their good offices.  But clearly all is not well in the world of the Lib Dems.  An IPSOS MORI poll in today's Sun puts the Lib Dems on 11% (-5) with all that support seemingly switching to the Tories who are on 41% (+7). ('Cam gives Gord a poll battering')

Ming Campbell took over the leadership of the Liberal Democrats at a difficult time. Charles Kennedy's drawn out and ugly resignation left the party feeling bruised and vulnerable.

Ming's appeal was to give the party a period of calm and a 'safe pair of hands.' He would give other potential contenders for the leadership time to prove themselves in bigger roles. This has been working well.

But Gordon Brown's election bungle has now changed the political landscape. 

The Lib Dems won't be facing the voters for another 18 months.  

The rules of the game have now changed and Ming Campbell needs to find and articulate a new vision of where and why he wants to lead the Lib Dems.