Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell has announced he will stand down as an MP at the next general election, due in May 2015.

 

Sir Menzies, or Ming as he is widely known, said he had written to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to inform him of his decision. He has served as MP for North East Fife since 1987 and was leader of the Lib Dems from 2006-07. Sir Menzies said it had been "an enormous privilege" to serve as an MP. During his career representing his "wonderful" Scottish constituency, he said: "My wife and I have made many friends and have been supported by constituents of all political persuasions and none. It is always a regret to begin the process of retiring from the House of Commons but I believe now is the time to start."

 

Mr Clegg said Sir Menzies was "a towering presence" in British politics and had "served this country and our party with unparalleled distinction". "As well as being an outstanding leader, Sir Menzies is a brilliant orator and someone who commands both attention and affection from all sides of the House in Westminster. "Of his many achievements in politics, I suspect he will be most vividly remembered for his passionate and articulate opposition to the war in Iraq."

 

Sir Menzies told the BBC he was leaving because of his age. He will be 80 when the next Parliament is due to end. "I have had a good innings but it's time to give someone else a go," he told the BBC News Channel's chief political correspondent Norman Smith. He had contemplated leaving Parliament after he resigned as Liberal Democrat leader, he added.

 

There is speculation that Sir Menzies will be offered a place in the House of Lords.

 

Sir Menzies first stood as a candidate for the Liberal Democrats seat in 1976, but did not win his constituency for 11 years. He had originally intended to stand for two Parliaments, he told the BBC, but he has now have served in six Parliaments.

 

In his first career as a sprinter, he held the UK 100m record from 1967 to 1974 and ran in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He later became a QC, and spoke for his party on foreign affairs, defence and Europe for more than a decade.

 

Earlier this year, he was included in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, which cited him as "one of the most respected politicians of his generation".

 

"It is a complete surprise. I am delighted and honoured," he said at the time.

 

"Other contemporary holders include Lord Coe and Judi Dench, and it is a privilege to join such company."

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24466721

 

 

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I am totally gutted! Ming has done loads for our community. No chance at all that the LibDems will hold this seat in 2015 without him.

Sir Menzies first stood as a candidate for the Liberal Democrats seat in 1976, but did not win his constituency for 11 years. He had originally intended to stand for two Parliaments, he told the BBC, but he has now have served in six Parliaments.

 

I'm guessing this is an error, given the Lib Dems didn't exist as an entity until 1988.

 

 

I'm guessing this is an error, given the Lib Dems didn't exist as an entity until 1988.

Well, yes, he originally stood as a Liberal candidate. They still got the date wrong. He first stood in 1979 (in Fife East as it was then). There wasn't a General Election in 1976 and there wasn't a byelection in Fife either.

If I remember correctly he initially was elected for the Liberal Party before I was born (so pre-89) and has served our rural community faithfully ever since.

If I remember correctly he initially was elected for the Liberal Party before I was born (so pre-89) and has served our rural community faithfully ever since.

Yes.

 

I'll be sorry to see him go but it's not s surprise. The press were really vicious about him when he was leader just because he was in his sixties. Until then he had been a highly respected MP. No doubt that was part of the reason why the press went for him. They didn't like the idea of the Lib Dems being led by someone who already had a high profile. They preferred somebody most people didn't recognise. Nick Clegg for example.

I suspect you are correct. There was no need to go after Sir Ming for his age when his record of support for his community and strength of his convictions stands tall.

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I am totally gutted! Ming has done loads for our community. No chance at all that the LibDems will hold this seat in 2015 without him.

 

Out of interest, who do you think is likely to win the seat in 2015?

Yes.

 

I'll be sorry to see him go but it's not s surprise. The press were really vicious about him when he was leader just because he was in his sixties. Until then he had been a highly respected MP. No doubt that was part of the reason why the press went for him. They didn't like the idea of the Lib Dems being led by someone who already had a high profile. They preferred somebody most people didn't recognise. Nick Clegg for example.

 

Wasn't he caught fiddling his expenses?

Wasn't he caught fiddling his expenses?

He claimed for a substantial sum (in the region of £10,000) to renovate his London flat. However, that was after 20 years when nothing was spent on maintenance so, averaged out over the time he lived in it, it doesn't really count as excessive and certainly didn't count as "fiddling".

He claimed for a substantial sum (in the region of £10,000) to renovate his London flat. However, that was after 20 years when nothing was spent on maintenance so, averaged out over the time he lived in it, it doesn't really count as excessive and certainly didn't count as "fiddling".

 

Agree, but i thought that might be one of the reasons for the media turning on him

Agree, but i thought that might be one of the reasons for the media turning on him

The media turned on him several years before that story came out.

Out of interest, who do you think is likely to win the seat in 2015?

I think that an SNP victory is more likely than a labour one. The Lib Dems could be as low as 3rd but I think the result will be broadly similar to the Scottish result.

 

 

Wasn't he caught fiddling his expenses?

Not really. There was some critics of the amount he spent but like suede said he hadn't done the place up before. His travel expenses we reasonable. For the most part he was a great honest guy who stood up for his area. I'm very sad to see him go.

I think that an SNP victory is more likely than a labour one. The Lib Dems could be as low as 3rd but I think the result will be broadly similar to the Scottish result.

Not really. There was some critics of the amount he spent but like suede said he hadn't done the place up before. His travel expenses we reasonable. For the most part he was a great honest guy who stood up for his area. I'm very sad to see him go.

 

Yeah, I was looking at the results from the last election and was thinking it was unpredictable which way that seat would go next time -- it would be something for the SNP to jump straight from 4th to first, but I guess if the results are anything close to the Scottish elections then they're the favourites.

 

Generally speaking, do you think the SNP are probably going to gain a lot of seats off Labour in 2015? Or do you think people who've been supporting the SNP in Scottish elections will still switch back to Labour for Westminster? I'm kind of complacently assuming the latter will still happen.

Yeah, I was looking at the results from the last election and was thinking it was unpredictable which way that seat would go next time -- it would be something for the SNP to jump straight from 4th to first, but I guess if the results are anything close to the Scottish elections then they're the favourites.

 

Generally speaking, do you think the SNP are probably going to gain a lot of seats off Labour in 2015? Or do you think people who've been supporting the SNP in Scottish elections will still switch back to Labour for Westminster? I'm kind of complacently assuming the latter will still happen.

If the referendum goes strongly against independence, will a lot of people stray away from the SNP for Westminster elections?

If the referendum goes strongly against independence, will a lot of people stray away from the SNP for Westminster elections?

(which it probably will)

 

I dunno, Quebec comfortably re-elected their nationalist parties in the elections following the failure of their two referendums.

I imagine the next election will have the same performance as ever for the SNP - five or six seats. I think people can distinguish quite easily between parliamentary and Scottish parliament elections - if anything I think devolution's made British parliamentary constituency victories less likely for the SNP, since there's no longer much of a need for SNP representation in the House of Commons to agitate for devolution/independence, short of espousing the SNP view on the few areas not covered by devolution.

I think Labour will be the largest party in Scotland at the UK election. I can see the Lib Dems losing a lot of their seats, the Scottish election was a good road map for what will happen to them with them losing all their mainland seats, and a few of those seats heading the SNP's way so they could get like 11-14 seats.

 

I do agree that people can tell the difference between the aims of the two elections but I think they will get a bump as the main left wing party that serves Scotland.

If the referendum goes strongly against independence, will a lot of people stray away from the SNP for Westminster elections?

 

Actually, I was making another complacent assumption in that post in even talking about Westminster Scottish elections, by assuming the independence referendum would fail. (Although even if they do vote "yes" to independence, how quickly would it actually happen? Might they still be electing MPs to Westminster in 2015?)

 

I think Harve's right though, nationalist parties around the world (Quebec especially) shows they never really go away even after independence is rejected. The most I could see happen is that maybe some hardline nationalists will break away from the SNP and make a new party which carries on demanding independence, while what remains of the SNP might put independence on the back-burner for a while and focus on other issues, and still get support from mainstream (anti-independence) leftwingers in Scottish elections atleast.

Edited November 16, 201311 yr by Danny

Actually, I was making another complacent assumption in that post in even talking about Westminster Scottish elections, by assuming the independence referendum would fail. (Although even if they do vote "yes" to independence, how quickly would it actually happen? Might they still be electing MPs to Westminster in 2015?)

 

I think Harve's right though, nationalist parties around the world (Quebec especially) shows they never really go away even after independence is rejected. The most I could see happen is that maybe some hardline nationalists will break away from the SNP and make a new party which carries on demanding independence, while what remains of the SNP might put independence on the back-burner for a while and focus on other issues, and still get support from mainstream (anti-independence) leftwingers in Scottish elections atleast.

The problem for the SNP though is that the election campaign will begin around six months after the referendum. If they are beaten heavily their morale will probably be very low.

 

If there is a Yes vote then it is possible that the government will legislate for existing MPs to remain until the final breakaway. However, I still think that Salmond may say that the referendum is on the principle of independence and that there will be a second confirmatory vote after the terms of independence have been agreed. If he does that and wins then Scotland will definitely vote at the General Election.

Actually, I was making another complacent assumption in that post in even talking about Westminster Scottish elections, by assuming the independence referendum would fail. (Although even if they do vote "yes" to independence, how quickly would it actually happen? Might they still be electing MPs to Westminster in 2015?)

 

I think Harve's right though, nationalist parties around the world (Quebec especially) shows they never really go away even after independence is rejected. The most I could see happen is that maybe some hardline nationalists will break away from the SNP and make a new party which carries on demanding independence, while what remains of the SNP might put independence on the back-burner for a while and focus on other issues, and still get support from mainstream (anti-independence) leftwingers in Scottish elections atleast.

They don't necessarily go away after independence is rejected, but it makes it a lot easier for them to be wiped out - take Parti Quebecois, who were the Opposition in the 90s (although granted mainly due to the freak collapse of the Conservatives after the vote split between them and a UKIP-style conservative insurgency) but who got utterly wiped out by the NDP in 2011 and now have just four seats.

 

-x-

 

Labour will be the biggest party in Scotland at the next general election, but that's not really saying much given they've been for generations now. The main question is whether the Lib Dem seats will go SNP or Labour. I'd bet my life on independence being rejected next year, short of something freakish happening (I don't know...the Conservatives doing something really really bloody stupid and Salmon coming down with a life-threatening disease which he recovers from just before the referendum - which actually happened in the Quebecois independence referendum and nearly swung it for the independence movement, weirdly enough). Cameron seems to have his head screwed on and knows it's best to leave it to Alistair Darling though, so I reckon it'll be a case of the SNP's morale being shattered and few gains, if any, in 2015.