I for one have had more than enough of it already. A steady drip, drip, drip of backbiting and petty bitchiness. Members wasting their energies talking to each other rather than fighting the upcoming local elections. The media scrutinising candidates’ sex lives and lifestyles. The declaration cannot come too soon.

Personally, I couldn’t care less what kind of car Chris Huhne drives, or what Simon Hughes does with his telephone. I’d rather I’d never had to hear it.

And as for your correspondent’s petulant swipe at Ming Campbell, if that’s the result of a leadership campaign enthusing and energising the membership, then I hope the next one is over in a week.

However, although I felt that way at the time, I was only really guessing and so will resist the temptation to say “I told you so”. Dunfermline and the subsequent opinion polls have confirmed that it would have been a good option, but the fact is we didn’t know that in January.

Not mad as in loony (Simon Hughes has that end of the market tied up good and proper) but as in mad-as-hell-and-not going-to-take-it-anymore?Jame

One small point, and I’ve made it on Rob’s blog too… Ming’s dig at Simon (”I’ve learned how not answer the bloody question”) got the biggest laugh of the night at the hustings. Was it advised? Perhaps not. Was it funny and fair? Yes.

The fact that a lot of activists didn’t vote for the winner is unfortunate, but cannot be circumvented. Members have votes of equal value, whatever their contribution to the Party.

Is Simon Hughes really going to do that badly?

1) Guardian Poll. There were 2 people asking the questions that I saw - Mike White - who was standing outside the main exit door, then if you turned right to leave, a young chap with specs - 10 yards further on on the pavement. Mike White asked me TWICE (I’m not a member - and he didn’t ask). I could have easily made my feeling known 3 times without even trying (2x to Mike and 1x to the chap in the specs). It was chaotic in the lobby of the hall, full of partisan young teams that easily have swung this poll either way.

2)Indie poll. The Indie people were not outside, they were sitting in a big group in front of the presenters. They conducted theire poll in a more orderly way, but both these polls are worthless, especially given the obvious keeness of some to present ANY piece of information as evidence they are “winning here” Huhne already has a bar chart on his site based on the guardian poll!

3) I agree with you that Ming will win this.
The phone canvass of 2000 members on Special Bets says that Hughes’s 2nd prefs were at least 60% in favour of Menzies. We also know that Peter Kellner confirmed (to Mike Smithson) that the YouGov poll #1 had 64% of Hughes’s supporters choosing Ming as a second preference. Two polls - one (potentially) biased and one neutral giving very similar second pref figures - Ming Campbell..”winning here”.