David Walter was Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Torridge and West Devon in 2005:

The hustings in Plymouth cheered South West activists up no end. The events of the past few weeks had taken a bit of a toll. When you toil away year in year out delivering leaflets and raising money for a cause which then suffers a wave of adverse publicity due to events completely beyond your control, it is bound to set you back.

But we have now passed January 23rd, newly recognised as the most depressing day of the year. Our spirits were ripe for revival, and the meeting in Plymouth saw plenty of that. The hustings reminded us that we are not only in politics to achieve Stakhanovite quotas of doorstep leaflet drops, important though that is. We are fighting for a cause.

The hustings audience needed inspiring and Ming Campbell, who spoke first, immediately inspired us. His opening remarks were punctuated by wave upon wave of applause. Ming may be the “safe pair of hands” candidate, but he is also the candidate who best reminds party members of the values they stand for. “I am passionate about our party”, he told us, “passionate about my politics, determined to lead this party, not for my own sake but for what liberal democracy can achieve.”

To delegates used to the gravitas which Ming gives the party, his wit came as a welcome bonus. “What a week”, he told the audience. “Rocked by scandal. Finished as a serious political force. It is hard not to feel sorry for George Galloway.” They liked that a lot.

In the question and answer session, Ming had the advantage of being the only leadership candidate with a rural seat. Devon and Cornwall contain some of the most sparsely populated constituencies in the country. The lack of affordable housing for local people is a huge issue. When Ming spoke about house prices in St Andrews in his own constituency driving local people away, he struck a real chord.

Over one of the few issues which divides the leadership candidates, he was also more in tune with local opinion. He pointed out that raising the duty on petrol would be unfair to people in rural areas who have no alternative but to drive cars.

The question of the environment also gave his the opportunity to make a trenchant attack on nuclear power. He pointed out that the nuclear industry demands huge subsidies both to commission and to decommission.

Inevitably, Ming dominated the answers about international affairs. The final questioner asked the panel what they would say to George Bush. Ming was able to tell the audience that he and Charles Kennedy had actually had a thirty-five minute meeting with the US President. The President might have carried on, but they told him that they had to leave to go and vote against the Government. “You’re voting against Tony Blair?”, the President inquired incredulously.

Ming’s opponents performed well. There was a good constructive atmosphere. But there was little doubt who had made the strongest impression.

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