Wake up, the Lib Dems are having another leadership contest

SO the starting gun has been fired in the two month marathon to reach the Liberal Democrat finishing line in the great struggle to become party leader. It beats me that anyone wishes to lead a party which seems to be inhabited by a shady bunch of grey suited assassins. But still, Chris Huhne wants the job and tomorrow Nick Clegg will enter the fray, launching his bid in Sheffield, which will really delight Labour's northern contingent, who can't stand the sight of Lib Dems.

Huhne has a catchy campaign theme: "a fairer and greener society where we put people first". That's bound to go down a treat in marginal Romsey, Montgomeryshire, and down town Chelmsford.

How will someone with the name Clegg appeal to suburban housewives in southern England? Answer: he won't.

The man whom Huhne cleverly associated with Camelot - that's the court of JFK, not the once and future king - has  what commentators discern as the "Cameron look" - smart, good looking, and plenty of sex appeal (I can't see that latter quality in either Clegg or Cameron, but then journalists do write a lot of tosh).

The Lib Dems' last leadership contest - was it really only 18 months ago -  was the most introverted bout of navel gazing I can ever remember. Party members spoke to themselves, not the wider electorate, and got landed with good old Ming, Contrast this with the Tory leadership campaign on 2005, which engaged with the public and produced Cameron and Sam Cam - that's wife Samantha Cameron to the non Cameroons amongst you.

Judging from the distinct lack of interest in the Lib Dems by Fleet Street's finest when Sir Ming went home to commune with the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, it's likely the wider public will know little and care even less about who will be chosen to lead the Lib Dems into power. The Lib Dems are being squeezed by Brown and Cameron and I can't see either Huhne or Clegg being able to do a thing about it.