The New Statesman has published an interview with Ming by Martin Bright.

Where once he was not prepared to use his own story for political purposes (his relatively humble origins, his fight against cancer), he is now opening up. He talks of his father, a member of the Independent Labour Party who worked his way up through Glasgow City Council to become general manager of the building department. This informed his attitude to social aspiration: “My parents did their best for me, sent me to a local authority school which distinguished itself by playing cricket and rugby. They paid modest fees, you wore a cap, and of my sixth form of 31, 29 went on to higher education. This was part of the Scottish tradition. Education was the mechanism, the means by which you develop.”

The full interview is online here.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell has called for an investigation into the Ministry of Defence’s role in processing payments - allegedly totalling £1 billion - to Prince Bandar bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia. Responding to the Defence Secretary’s failure to answer questions on the issue, Ming told The Guardian:

“We need a full investigation to determine whether the Ministry of Defence has been directly involved in processing payments to Prince Bandar. The department’s failure to clarify this issue is unacceptable. We need to know whether any payments took place after 2002 and whether they breached anti-corruption legislation. If it appears the law has been broken then it would be a matter for the police.”

Full story on The Guardian’s website: Minister stonewalls on Bandar’s £1bn.

Writing for The Guardian’s Comment is Free website, Ming Campbell said:

Two years ago, Tony Blair said that the world’s most powerful countries “will not allow violence to change our societies or our values”. In truth, he has done exactly that. Too many of our hard won freedoms have been lost. They will not be easy to recover: the challenge is Mr Brown’s.

You can read the full article on Comment is Free.

Ming is profiled in today’s Independent in an interview where he answered questions sent in by readers. Topics covered include the profile of the Liberal Democrats in the media, local taxation, Britain’s place in the world, and drugs policy.

Read the full article here.

Ming Campbell has written an article about Tory MP David Maclean’s Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill:

This was a self-inflicted blow by Parliament which will deeply damage its reputation.

The Bill was voted through by an unholy alliance of Conservative and Labour MPs.

It was also given unofficial support from the Government which, unusually, did not block it at Second Reading and instead appeared content to have its own Freedom of Information Act watered down.

You can read the full article on the New Statesman website.