A Much Happier Liberal Democrat

I didn't vote for Ming in the Lib Dem leadership election. There were three good candidates though, so I was taken aback by Ming's shaky start as leader. By the the finish of his first conference speech last year I was getting worried - where had the calm authoritative critic of Iraq and Guantanamo gone? It seemed like Ming was trying too hard to be funny and polished and succeeding at neither.

The 2006 conference itself was also disappointing, There was the loss of the policy to tax high incomes at 50%. Undefined savings in spending were supposed to fund key Lib Dem plans like free personal care for the elderly. Usually I can agree with most of the conference votes. 2006 was not the expected smooth ride.

Since then, Ming has gradually found his stride. The party kept the Tories firmly in 3rd place in both this summer's by-elections despite the Polling Days being in the middle of the Brown honeymoon. And (to an armchair viewer) we have had a great conference - big on liberal policy, big on environmental policy and to top it all, a speech from Ming that inspired.

This year, Ming just tried to be himself: good earnest delivery balanced by a few well-crafted jokes; positive about our green and taxation policies; critical of the Con/Lab consensus on eroding liberties and their lack of direction on the environment; seeing off the age issue that the media would like to pin on his leadership.

So now we can get on with telling voters about our policies.

As the General Election approaches, I am a Much Happier Liberal Democrat.