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| Lib Dems 'expected good election' | Lib Dems 'expected good election' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Liberal Democrat president Simon Hughes said the party had been expecting to win seats from the Conservatives and Labour in an autumn general election. | Liberal Democrat president Simon Hughes said the party had been expecting to win seats from the Conservatives and Labour in an autumn general election. |
| He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "We were ready for an election, we believed we would do well in an election." | |
| He said Gordon Brown's reputation would be "tarnished" by not going for an election, after all the speculation. | He said Gordon Brown's reputation would be "tarnished" by not going for an election, after all the speculation. |
| Mr Hughes also rejected the suggestion the Lib Dems might now want to replace Sir Menzies Campbell, 66, as leader. | Mr Hughes also rejected the suggestion the Lib Dems might now want to replace Sir Menzies Campbell, 66, as leader. |
| So you have a leader with experience internationally and nationally and the party has chosen him for a fixed term and for the next election - whenever that is Simon Hughes,Lib Dem president | |
| "The only criticism that was ever made was that you couldn't have a party leader who was of a certain age, and Ming addressed that head on in the conference," Mr Hughes said. | "The only criticism that was ever made was that you couldn't have a party leader who was of a certain age, and Ming addressed that head on in the conference," Mr Hughes said. |
| "He made the point that when it comes to crucial decisions it is the experience that counts. | "He made the point that when it comes to crucial decisions it is the experience that counts. |
| "We would not have had Ming Campbell making announcements about soldiers in Iraq, playing party games with soldiers in Iraq, saying that we were going to bring 1,000 home when he had already made half the announcement. | "We would not have had Ming Campbell making announcements about soldiers in Iraq, playing party games with soldiers in Iraq, saying that we were going to bring 1,000 home when he had already made half the announcement. |
| "So you have a leader with experience internationally and nationally and the party has chosen him for a fixed term and for the next election - whenever that is." | "So you have a leader with experience internationally and nationally and the party has chosen him for a fixed term and for the next election - whenever that is." |
| 'Young Turks' | 'Young Turks' |
| Mr Hughes denied opinion polls had been "atrocious" for the party and said when they were given equal media coverage - as they were during election campaigns - they did better in the polls. | Mr Hughes denied opinion polls had been "atrocious" for the party and said when they were given equal media coverage - as they were during election campaigns - they did better in the polls. |
| He said that if the prime minister had called an autumn election "we expected to win seats in the election from the Tories and from Labour". | He said that if the prime minister had called an autumn election "we expected to win seats in the election from the Tories and from Labour". |
| This is the party... which said they weren't going to do it the way that Blair did it. They have tried to do it the way that Blair did it and got it comprehensively wrong Sir Menzies CampbellLib Dem leader | This is the party... which said they weren't going to do it the way that Blair did it. They have tried to do it the way that Blair did it and got it comprehensively wrong Sir Menzies CampbellLib Dem leader |
| On Saturday Sir Menzies said of Mr Brown's decision not to call an election: "We are talking about loss of nerve, shooting themselves in the foot, grand old Duke of York, crisis of confidence. | On Saturday Sir Menzies said of Mr Brown's decision not to call an election: "We are talking about loss of nerve, shooting themselves in the foot, grand old Duke of York, crisis of confidence. |
| "The real question is how could it possibly be that Mr Brown, who has been preparing for 10 years, could have allowed himself and his government to be drawn into circumstances in which they're forced to make such a humiliating climbdown." | "The real question is how could it possibly be that Mr Brown, who has been preparing for 10 years, could have allowed himself and his government to be drawn into circumstances in which they're forced to make such a humiliating climbdown." |
| He also criticised how the announcement was made "in a particular interview, given for a particular journalist in a particular way". | He also criticised how the announcement was made "in a particular interview, given for a particular journalist in a particular way". |
| "This is the party... which said they weren't going to do it the way that Blair did it. They have tried to do it the way that Blair did it and got it comprehensively wrong." | "This is the party... which said they weren't going to do it the way that Blair did it. They have tried to do it the way that Blair did it and got it comprehensively wrong." |
| Sir Menzies has said he would lead the Lib Dems into the next election "and beyond". | Sir Menzies has said he would lead the Lib Dems into the next election "and beyond". |
| At the party conference last month he also said he welcomed the party's "young turks" seeking to show that they should be his successor. | At the party conference last month he also said he welcomed the party's "young turks" seeking to show that they should be his successor. |
| The two most openly talked about as wanting the job were Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne - but Sir Menzies said there were a number of other men and woman who he thought had what it took to succeed him. | The two most openly talked about as wanting the job were Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne - but Sir Menzies said there were a number of other men and woman who he thought had what it took to succeed him. |