Lib Dems: ‘presentation’ the key
The race for the Liberal Democrat leadership will be decided on the basis of presentation, according to the two main contenders.
Environment spokesman Chris Huhne and home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said there are no fundamental differences between them on policy.
In an interview with BBC1’s Sunday AM, Mr Clegg said: “Don’t be surprised that our similarities far outweigh our differences.”
Mr Clegg, 40, and Mr Huhne, 53, are the two leading contenders to replace Sir Menzies Campbell, who stepped down as party leader on Monday after falling approval ratings led to internal discontent.
Mr Clegg claimed the Lib Dems had to “reinvent politics completely” and “to really change utterly the stale old duopoly of two party politics”.
He added he believes he has the “qualities” to reach out to people “to bring people to our cause”.
Mr Huhne, a Westminster School alumnus like Mr Clegg, commented: “Party members have to make a decision – who is going to be best to present the case on which Nick and I – not surprisingly as we have been leading members of the same party for a long time – fundamentally agree on.”
Both men were members of the European Parliament and became MPs just two years ago.
Mr Huhne, seen as more economically sound than Mr Clegg, said the leadership race was a “tremendous opportunity” for the party to outline a “radical” alternative to the traditional two-party domination of the British political system.
“We are the real radicals. We are not just about changing the government, we are about changing the whole system,” he added.
