People often forget to ask a key question in any political leadership race. Do you have the stamina for the job?

Leadership of the party in the country involves a huge amount of time-consuming travel and activity quite apart from the job of leading the party in the Westminster hothouse and remaining a conscientious constituency MP. Enthusiam for the job is of course absolutely vital but enthusiasm without stamina is not sufficient.

Party members are also interested in the policy focus of different candidates. In the case of the Lib Dems whilst tehre is broad agreement on all the major policy themes from the needs of the environment to the case for electoral reform party members will want to ask two questions: what are the political priorities on which you intend to focus? and what will be your conditions for joining a government after the next general election in the event of a hung or balanced parliament?

Councillor Roger Blackmore

Roger Blackmore is currently Leader of Leicester City Council and a former Chair of the East Midlands Liberal Democrats. He is also a former Parliamentary Liberal Candidate for Gainsborough and North Devon

Yes,Roger stamina is important. So however is setting a clear path to the top and showing how to climb it.

No leader has every desirable quality in abundance. The important thing in my opinion is for the leader to give guidance as to the strategy, policies and culture during his time at the helm.

This last point is vital. Each leader brings his own particular way of doing things for instance communicating and is elected for this as much as anything. Inspiration is everything in politics and we certainly need more of that the present time.

Peter Hirst
PPC for Stroud last May