Sir Ming snubs Suffolk

I was up in Scotland last week so sadly missed the Liberal Democrats' leadership hustings in Bury St Edmunds. And so too did Sir Menzies `Ming' Campbell, who apparently decided that recording an interview with Radio 4 was more important.

The "elderly toff" - as Ming is referred to in the Commons - claimed today to have the backing of more than half the members of the party at Westminster - 32 of the 63 MPs.

He received the backing of John Hemming (Birmingham Yardley), ahead of a leadership hustings in Manchester tonight. His campaign team also claims that of the 32 MPs supporting him, 13 are frontbench spokesmen.

Ahead of the hustings with rival contenders Chris Huhne and Simon Hughes, he said: "I want to win power, so that we can give power away. I want us to be the champions, again, of people power.

"I want to see citizens able to initiate inquiries, ask questions direct of decision-takers and have petitions debated... in short, people power to replace unelected quango power so that government is servant and not master."

In his speech in Manchester, he is expected to call for a raft of constitutional measures including proportional representation in all elections, an elected House of Lords and control of the running of schools, hospitals and transport to be handed to local government.

All well and good - but can he win without the backing of the rank and file in East Anglia, whom he decided were not as important as a Radio 4 audience?