It is said that the Lib Dem party membership will back Kennedy. No polling on this to back this up - but lots of people are claiming this. It ought to have some truth as its the only reason why Kennedy is still clinging on.

The Tory membership loved Iain Duncan Smith too. Even when it was patently obvious to everyone else that he was holding them back massively.

If memberships are this bad a noticing whether a leaders doing a good job or not, is it sensible to let them choose the leader in the first place??

Y

One member, one vote. It's what distinguishes us as Liberal Democrats. Trust the people.

Have I understood you right - memberships get it wrong because somebody has said that the membership would if asked make a decision that you or some other people think is wrong?

It is hardly damning evidence against party democracy!

Incidentally, the Tory membership have got it wrong with Cameron too if you ask me. A visionless waffler punting for electoral territory the Tory party hasn't the stomach to occupy.

http://joeotten.blogspot.com/2006/01/david-cameron-what-on-earth-is-his.html

Davis would at least have argued for (bad) Tory policies, he would have been credible.

I don't know why, but to hear the screams of anguish from the selected rentaquote members in the media, it's clear that they still don't get it.

I am particularly irritated by the claim that CK did a good job in securing the party's strongest ever parliamentary representation at the last election. Given the unpopularity of New Labour over the war and the Tories' condition, a bladder on a stick could have done as well. The best opportunity for a generation that the liberal democrats have had to change the course of political history was squandered by having a leader who was answerable primarily to the bottle, surrounded by a sqabbling team that failed to deal with the problem early enough. You can't just blame Kennedy, though; the whole leadership let things get to this stage and is responsible.

Fortunately the next-best opportunity is coming up in 2009. This one must not be let slip.

first let them know the truth.

In having elections and democracy as a means of installing people to positions of power and trust it also creates an basis on which the people can be expressed to request a change/rejection of same... Hence the series of bloodless coups that can be so successful either in democracies or even against dictatorships...

Many members were aware of CKs failings - this bloody episode was not unexpected just that the timing was ill-judged and it was a tad botched...