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10/01/2006
Oaten to run for Lib Dem leadership
Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesperson Mark Oaten has announced that he will run for leadership of the party.
Mr Oaten will challenge the party's deputy leader Sir Menzies Campbell in the leadership contest, which was announced after Charles Kennedy's resignation.
Mr Oaten said that he wanted to "modernise" the Liberal Democrats and to take on the "nanny-state" Labour party and expose the "fake" liberalism of David Cameron's Conservatives.
Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem party president, is widely seen as the only other likely candidate in the race and is expected to announce his intentions this week.
Sir Menzies is believed to have the backing of more than a third of the party's MPs. Two of the party's former leaders, Lord Steel and Lord Ashdown, have also declared their support for him.
Details of the election of the party's new leader were announced last night, following a meeting of the party's Federal Executive.
The deadline for nominations will be January 25 and ballot papers will be sent to all of the party's 73,000 members by February 6.
The deadline for the return of the ballot papers is March 1 and the new leader will be announced on March 2.
Charles Kennedy announced his resignation on Saturday, two days after making a personal statement admitting to a drink problem.
A poll conducted for 'The Times' found that support for the Liberal Democrats has dropped 3% - from 19% to 16% - following Mr Kennedy's resignation. It is the party's lowest rating since 2001, the paper said.
(KMcA/GB)
Mr Oaten will challenge the party's deputy leader Sir Menzies Campbell in the leadership contest, which was announced after Charles Kennedy's resignation.
Mr Oaten said that he wanted to "modernise" the Liberal Democrats and to take on the "nanny-state" Labour party and expose the "fake" liberalism of David Cameron's Conservatives.
Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem party president, is widely seen as the only other likely candidate in the race and is expected to announce his intentions this week.
Sir Menzies is believed to have the backing of more than a third of the party's MPs. Two of the party's former leaders, Lord Steel and Lord Ashdown, have also declared their support for him.
Details of the election of the party's new leader were announced last night, following a meeting of the party's Federal Executive.
The deadline for nominations will be January 25 and ballot papers will be sent to all of the party's 73,000 members by February 6.
The deadline for the return of the ballot papers is March 1 and the new leader will be announced on March 2.
Charles Kennedy announced his resignation on Saturday, two days after making a personal statement admitting to a drink problem.
A poll conducted for 'The Times' found that support for the Liberal Democrats has dropped 3% - from 19% to 16% - following Mr Kennedy's resignation. It is the party's lowest rating since 2001, the paper said.
(KMcA/GB)
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Sir Menzies becomes new Lib Dem leader
Sir Menzies Campbell has won the Liberal Democrat leadership contest to become party leader. Sir Menzies, the party's foreign affairs spokesperson and the acting party leader, gained 58% of the final round vote. He beat Chris Huhne, the party's economic spokesperson, who came second, and party president Simon Hughes, who came third.
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