Transcript of Ed Davey’s podcast about Ming Campbell
David Walter: Ed Davey when did you first know Ming?
Ed Davey: I started work for the Liberal Democrats in 1989 as the party’s Economics Adviser and Ming was already a very senior parliamentarian and I had the pleasure of briefing him for a whole range of different things whenever he had talk on economics and he was always a pleasure to brief, very professional about everything that, everything he does.
DW: And subsequently you got to know him very well. Are there other attributes of his character which have come across to you?
ED: Well what’s really noticeable is how he gets on so well with staff. I was a member of staff and he was always incredibly encouraging to me and, and, and polite and treated me with real respect. And I’ve known people who’ve worked in his office, people who’ve worked with him, briefing him as our Foreign Affairs Spokesperson over the years and they have a huge loyalty, they really admire him, and they seem to go the extra mile because of the way he cares and, and is thoughtful for staff and how he uses them. So I, I was impressed by that. The people who can engage people in the back room are, are people to admire.
DW: Since you’ve been an MP how’s he been with the parliamentary party?
ED: Well when he’s explaining his brief, explaining an issue that he’s taking a position on, whether it’s Rendition of, of prisoners by the United States of America, whether it’s something to do with Iraq, he’s always very clear, he’s always very principled and he’s always engaging with other MPs, so very consultative.
But he also has this streak in him when we’re discussing other issues, for example ID cards or issues round the Terrorism Act where his Liberal principles really come through. And you can see him when someone is, is suggesting that we play low politics he’s always saying well hold on a minute we’re Liberals, we’ve got to stand up for civil liberties and the rights and due process. And he, I guess his lawyer background comes through very, very clearly then.
DW: As he’s been a spokesman on defence and foreign affairs almost all his political career, you’ve always dealt with domestic issues, do you think he has a, a real understanding and a grasp of for instance economics?
ED: He has a, really developed a feel. Let’s remember as Foreign Affairs Spokesman he’s had to deal with issues around the single currency and, and many economic issues are now international. So he has had to speak about them and, and, and dealt with them and many domestic issues increasingly take on an international element.
However if you look at other areas that he’s talked about, particularly on home affairs and particularly on, on legal matters, he’s clearly an expert in, in those areas already. And when I’ve had to brief him on economic affairs or on issues about education for example he quickly understands and takes the brief as a, as a good lawyer, but also has an insight I think from his own constituency work.
Because let’s remember he’s been a Member of Parliament for nearly twenty years, he’s dealt with housing, he’s dealt with benefits, he’s dealt with education and health. Okay, sometimes from a Scottish perspective but I think that’s quite a fresh thinking bringing it to English issues.
DW: Yeah I mean you’re a London MP. How, how would you feel about having another Scot as leader? It, would that at all be a disadvantage do you think?
ED: Absolutely not. There’s actually going to be likely to be three Scottish leaders in the next election, Gordon Brown, and he’s clearly a Scot, and Mr Cameron. Cameron’s not a terribly English name is it?
DW: Has Ming really got the stamina to be leader?
ED: Ming has got so much stamina it’s not true. I mean but the great thing about him is he’s so well organised. He packs so much in his day because when he’s involved in a meeting it starts on time, is well organised, you don’t have any waffle and you get to the point and you get decisions taken. And it’s that sort of professionalism and, and self discipline which I think means that he gets more out of every hour he puts in than, than almost any other politician I’ve ever worked with.
