Tim Farron to stand for Lib Dem deputy leadership
More developments on leadership roles in two parties today - both in Labour and perhaps more unexpectedly in the Liberal Democrats.
The Westmorland and Lonsdale MP . Vince Cable resigned from the position yesterday.
This was first sniffed out by Newsnight's Political Editor Michael Crick who blogged on the subject from his holiday in Mr Farron's Lake District constituency (I must tell my boss not to expect exclusives from my holiday to Florida later this year!)
Mr Crick believed an official announcement was a little way off, but these things have a momentum of their own.
So a few minutes after I tweeted a link to Michael Crick's blog (), I got a announcing his candidature.
He says he'll remain Westmorland's man first and foremost but does want to continue to have a leading role in his party.
You'll remember that Tim Farron did not get a job in government, even though there is no Lib Dem in Defra - the department which he was shadowing before the election.
Mr Farron says he has been urged by friends and colleagues to run, and I'm not surprised.
He's a popular figure in the party. At last year's Lib Dem conference I watched him deliver a funny and engaging speech which clearly went down well with the party faithful.
And the party could certainly do with some of his campaigning magic.
It was an achievement in itself to prise away Westmorland and Lonsdale from the Conservatives after 100 years in 2005.
But .
He is generally thought to be on the left of the party too, so might make a sceptical - if so far supportive - counterbalance to the senior Lib Dems in the coalition government with the Conservatives.
He still has to win of course, and may face some tough opposition from Simon Hughes, but he's certainly setting the pace.
The other development is slightly less revelatory - it's .
I spent sections of yesterday afternoon staring at a near-blank screen telling me the new site was coming soon.
It built up such frenzy of expectation that I was anticipating a wonder of the worldwide web.
It's not that perhaps, but clearly some work and thought has gone into it.
There are . You may not be surprised he was behind Building Schools for the Future. But did you know his snack of choice is a Twirl, and not a banana after all? You can't top the taste of a Miliband.
His favourite book isn't one of his father's Marxist tracts either, but The Gruffalo.
Generally though the website is short and snappy and has to support his campaign and discuss the future of the Labour party. (Nothing personal but I'm washing my hair that night if you invite me to one).
Obama also turns up in , shaking hands with Mr Milband, but actually there's plenty of local interest in it too as South Shields features prominently.
Mind you, I think I might have ditched the accompanying music. It's a strangely maudlin violin piece which grates after a few minutes.
In fact, it's so sad, I thought a voiceover would pop up at the end of the video to say, "Sadly David Miliband passed away shortly after this recording."
Of course, he's still alive and kicking, as is his campaign for the leadership. Here's the latest list of the local MPs backing him and other candidates:
- 9 - Hugh Bayley (York Central), Sir Stuart Bell (Middlesbrough), Alan Campbell (Tynemouth), Jenny Chapman (Darlington), Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central), Pat Glass (Durham NW), Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South), Jamie Reed (Copeland), Phil Wilson (Sedgefield).
- 4 - Roberta Blackman-Woods (City of Durham), Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland), Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle North), Grahame Morris (Easington).
- 4 - Dave Anderson (Blaydon), Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South), Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West), Iain Wright (Hartlepool)
Regionally, still no takers so far for , or .
I'm Richard Moss, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s Political Editor for the North East and Cumbria. Welcome to my irreverent - but hopefully insightful - northern take on reporting politics for Look North and the Politics Show.
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