Spare a thought for Ming
Ming Campbell addressed a Liberal Democrat conference in my constituency on Saturday, not that you would have noticed. Suffolk is not exactly heaving with Liberal Democrats, and certainly not in Mildenhall.
A relation of mine once stood as a Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, and was perfectly honest in admitting that she made up a lot of her policies. Just as well.
They have prospered because people who have been disillusioned with confrontational party politics could make their protest. Now they cannot agree about anything, whether on tax or Europe. Many decent Liberal Democrats will be revolted if they commit patricide and be put off voting for them, as they will look collectively, rather nasty and ungrateful.
There is no guarantee that a new leader will do better. It is them, not their leader that is the problem. None of the contenders have the passion and leadership of Paddy Ashdown, or sheer likeability of Charles Kennedy. So they should be very cautious indeed before they stick the yellow knife in.