My vote is in the post for Chris Huhne

Despite the hand written postcard from Willie Rennie MP (someone I have got huge respect for) asking me to support Nick my vote was posted off today and I voted for Chris Huhne.

There were a number of reasons I voted Huhne but the most significant were probably:
1. I know Chris and get on well with him on a personal basis.
2. I feel Chris is slightly more of a "Social Liberal" than Nick is.
3. The block support for Nick by Scottish MPs who have declared raised my hackles as it did during the last Leadership campaign.
4. Although he didn't commit to unilateral nuclear disarmament his position on trident is a lot closer to mine than Nick's

I wish Chris all the best in the campaign and can assure him that I have been active in delivering him a fair number of other votes from across Scotland.

In conclusion I must state that I think Nick will be a good leader too, just not quite as good as Chris. Whoever wins we will have a great opportunity to move forward united and passionate about changing Britain for the better. Lets all get on with making our society a much more liberal place to be.

Calm down to a frenzy guys

Reading Lib Dem blogs over the last few days, I would strongly suggest that it's time to calm down to a frenzy and start getting life into some form of perspective over the leadership contest.

I'm open about backing Chris for leader but you won't find me posting such incredibly rude headings such as "Just how low will Huhne's supporters go" or "Avoiding the question" as posted by two obviously pro-Clegg supporters. I'm sure that there are similar inflamatory postings by pro-Huhne bloggers too.

Come on folks, we're all going to have to work together after the leadership contest and no matter who wins we should be in a radical, reinvigorated party which will have a clear sense of unity and purpose. My friend Caron http://carons-musings.blogspot.com/ is supporting Nick, I'm supporting Chris and we are sure as hell not going to fall out over this. If we can behave like adults why can't everyone else?

Leadership hustings in Edinburgh

Just a wee reminder that the only hustings which is being held in Scotland during the Leadership campaign is taking place in Edinburgh tomorrow (10th November).

The event is being held in The General Assembly Hall, Mound Place, Edinburgh.
It starts at 11am and will finish by 2pm at the latest.

I've decided not to go as I know that I'm voting for Chris Huhne and, probably more importantly, Catherine & I haven't set eyes on each other for over a fortnight!

The Liberal Revolution - Chris Huhne's Manifesto for Leader

This is the preface to Chris Huhne's manifesto. The full manifesto can be found at: http://www.chris2win.org.uk/

The Liberal Revolution

“The boldest measures are the safest” – Orde Wingate

Preface
Britain needs a radical party to change our society, not just run it. We need a
party that will breathe trust and faith back into the political process by
speaking honestly about the challenges we face, and the disillusion that so
many of us feel. The task for Liberal Democrats is to revive our antiestablishment
edge, and remember that we are the party that wants to
change the system, not just change the people on the back seat of the
ministerial limousine.

If we do not strive for a fairer society, who will? Social mobility has fallen
under Labour, and inequality has risen. If we do not defend freedoms, who
will? Our hard-won liberties have been steadily eroded since 1997 with the
Conservatives proving themselves fair-weather friends of the fight. If we do
not champion sustainability and the attack on climate change, who will?
Labour and the Conservatives have discovered green rhetoric, but are failing
on green action.

And if we do not revive faith and trust in the political process – through reform
and decentralisation – who will? And what will be the future of a country
whose people have lost trust in their capacity to steer its direction? As Liberal
Democrats, the stakes have never been higher. It is time to set out on a
crusade for Liberal values, and to become an unstoppable movement of
conscience and reform.

5 MSPs declare for Chris

I'm happy to see that, so far, 5 of our Scottish MSPs have declared their support for Chris in the leadership contest. They are:
Robert Brown MSP for Glasgow
Mike Pringle MSP for Edinburgh South
Jeremy Purvis MSP for Tweeddale, Etterick & Lauderdale
John Farquhar Munro MSP for Ross, Skye & Inverness West
Jamie Stone MSP for Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross
It's good to see that the alliegance of elected Parliamentarians in Scotland is beginning to balance up a bit after the early stampede of Scottish MPs to back Nick. I'm sure that there will be further declarations for Chris in the pipeline.

Anti Trident? Chris Huhne's your man

I was delighted to read this morning that Chris has come out against replacing Trident and, therefore, against the terrible fudge that is the current Federal Lib Dem policy. I sincerely hope that if Chris wins the Leadership he will re-open this debate and propose a policy that doesn't give us marks on the bum from fence-sitting.

Nick, on the other hand, has gone greatly down in my estimation by saying that he would not be prepared to unilaterally disarm "on a whim in a leadership election." Hardly a constructive comment and perhaps signs that the election is beginning to hot up.