Where now for the Lib Dems?

Last Modified: 16 Oct 2007
By: Newsroom blogger

The race is on to replace deposed Lib Dem leader Ming Campbell. The newsroom blogger reports on the morning meeting.

The party's environment secretary Chris Hulme is expected to throw his hat into the ring today, although shadow home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg is the bookies' favourite.

We'll be looking at the runners and riders, and where the Lib Dems can go from here.

"They are in a bit of a mess over policy at the moment - I mean what is their signature policy?

"I don't think anybody knows, it used to be a penny on income tax for education but it's unclear now."

'They are in a bit of a mess over policy at the moment - I mean what is their signature policy?'
Newsroom meeting

The Northern Rock chief executive Adam Applegarth - along with fellow executives - will be facing a grilling from the Treasury Select Committee. We'll be trying to doorstep him outside the meeting.

Today the government released a list of middle-class areas where boozing has reached "hazardous" levels.

"I just think this story has been bizarrely spun to the newspapers, the Department of Health (DoH) is trying to make out these are the worst areas for drinking - but it's only because they have stripped the deprived areas out of the figures."

"It also has a whiff to me of future tax increases on alcohol, I wouldn't be surprised if they were floating these figures ahead of tax rises on booze."

"It could also be the DoH covering its back, the weekend was obesity, today it's binge drinking - it's going to face a lot of criticism about public health issues so it's going to try and get its defence in early."

Elsewhere in the news, the inquest into the death of former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer will open today - Channel 4 News broke the news that he was murdered, a line which has since been denied.

Hopefully the inquest will shed more light on the 58-year-old's mysterious death.