John Hemming MP posted the following endorsement on his blog earlier today:

The West Midlands Hustings for Lib Dem Leader were yesterday. I would be happy if any of the three candidates won. However, in a finally balanced decision I have decided to endorse Ming Campbell.

There were two particular parts of his speech which were clearly distinct from the other two candidates.

Firstly, he made it clear that we should be a campaigning party raising issues from a local to national level.

Secondly, he talked about the 1.6 million families waiting for housing and the 700,000 empty homes.

Compared to Chris Huhne, Ming was clearer about the need to be sensitive in the way in which resource taxation is applied. People will know that I see the practical limits to resource consumption being the availability of resources. Within the context of that debate how one rations out the availability of resources becomes a complex decision that needs to be thought through carefully.

We are not clones of the leader of the party. Party policy will continue to be determined by the party as whole. Another point Ming made was the need to involve more people in this so that the party becomes more interested in politics.

Having consulted within the Birmingham Party, therefore, I have decided to vote for and endorse Menzies Campbell as Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

I know Ming very well and whilst I was Shadow Defence Secretary we worked closely together during the run up to the Iraq War, and I acted as his liaison with the Ministry of Defence during the conflict itself. He commands undoubted authority on foreign affairs and is a passionate advocate of social justice and economic liberalism, which I feel will unite the party at every level.

Ming’s experience, judgement and credibility will lead the Liberal Democrats to significant new advances. He possesses the gravitas to expose the superficial charms of David Cameron and provide principled liberal opposition to an increasingly illiberal, centralising New Labour Government.

As a backbencher and as a former colleague in the shadow cabinet I have no doubt that Ming is the person best equipped to take on Brown and Cameron and give the party a distinctive and authentic liberal cutting edge.

Ming’s mastery of foreign affairs and his leadership on Iraq mark him out as a statesman with the experience that counts. I believe his skill as a parliamentary debater and his ability to communicate the party’s message in the media are assets that he would bring to the leadership of our party.

It should be no surprise that the people who know Ming best, who have worked closest with him over the years are backing him. He inspires loyalty and respect from colleagues. I have no doubt he will give our party a renewed sense of purpose and build the team in Parliament and the country to capitalise on the Dunfermline result and achieve further success in the May council elections.

I like the fact that Ming has made his campaign about values. He is right to say that people don’t want another management company competing over how best to run the status quo, lets leave that to Labour and the Conservatives. His instincts are liberal, his passion is for social justice.

I remember the first time that I met Ming Campbell. It was over twenty years ago when I was President of the Glasgow University Liberal Club and we were looking for a Liberal to stand for the rectorship of Glasgow University. This was some years before he was elected as MP for North East Fife and long before he had acquired the national respect and standing that he enjoys today. As soon as I met him, however, I knew that we had found our candidate.

Campaigning with and for Ming has never been a chore. In fact, it is great fun because he is someone you can believe in. He can articulate the liberal vision in a way that few others I have ever known can manage. He has an instinctive feel for the correct liberal view on any issue.

The Liberal Democrats are at their best when they are distinctive and true to their own principles and beliefs. In an age of spin and sound bite Ming Campbell can be a leader of substance and vision. I am excited and inspired by the idea of having him as our leader.

I have worked with Ming during the last year in the Party’s Foreign Affairs Team and have known him as a fellow member of our wider Parliamentary team since May 1997. His political judgement has always been impeccable and his knowledge, authority and experience commands tremendous respect across Parliament and the country.

I am sure that Ming has what it takes to take the Party forward to even greater success than that achieved under the excellent leadership provided to the Party by both Paddy Ashdown and Charles Kennedy and under his leadership we will go on to greater successes and higher achievements in the months and years ahead.

He has been that person who has been speaking for … all those people who feel that their voice has been not represented in Parliament, he’s been the one who’s represented their views.

Welcome to the seventh Ming Campbell campaign podcast. In this interview, Sarah Teather MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for Community & Local Government, explains why she is backing Ming to lead the Liberal Democrats.

Download and listen to the Sarah Teather podcast (MP3, 993kB)

If you don’t know what a podcast is, don’t worry. Just select the link above, and if your computer has speakers or headphones, you should be able to listen to the interview. You can find out more about podcasting on the BBC Radio website.

If you do know what a podcast is, and would like to link to the feed in your podcast software, the address of the podcast feed itself is listed at the bottom of the page.

See a complete list of all podcasts »

Read the transcript of the seventh podcast »

I have held the view for several years that Ming Campbell is one of the pre-eminent opposition politicians in this country. His articulation of the case against the war in Iraq was brilliant. But there have been very many other causes that he has fought with clarity and power.

From a personal point of view, Ming was incredibly supportive following my election in 2001. I spent the first 12 months as deputy spokesperson on International Development within Ming’s Foreign Affairs team. He always had time for advice and guidance. It is no surprise that so many Members of Parliament are supporting Ming. We have all witnessed his remarkable skills, his humour, his natural authority and the respect with which he is held. He is a genuine, deeply committed Liberal and a democrat. We are very fortunate to have chance to elect Ming as our leader. What a brilliant contrast to the inexperienced, untested David Cameron.

I think Ming is the ideal candidate to bring credibility to our party – someone the voters can actually imagine in number 10.

On a wide range of issues Ming has a strong track record. He has relentlessly kept the government running on Iraq, on Guantanamo Bay and international human rights abuses. We need this tenacity now. His commitment to tackling poverty is important at a time when Labour have deserted their roots. On subjects such as the environment his authenticity is in stark contrast with Cameron’s opportunistic lip-service approach.

Ming is one of the most experienced and authoritative performers in the House of Commons. It’s only one part of the job, but we do need someone who can perform well in this often bear-pit-like environment, and hold the PM to account.

I want us to be a loud, confident liberal voice in British politics, heard and taken seriously. I believe Ming is the best candidate to do that as leader of our party.

You can also listen to Jo’s podcast where she explains why she is backing Ming »

I have admired Ming for a long time, but only got to know him well since I became his deputy in the House of Commons when I became an MP last year. I discovered that Ming is not only a highly accomplished politician, but also extremely friendly and supportive to all those who work for him. That is important to me. I want a leader who is tough, able to take on Cameron and Brown at the next election, but I also want a leader who is able to command loyalty and affection within the party at large. His ability to use his experience to build a strong political team around him will, I believe, be a huge asset to the party.

You can also listen to Nick’s podcast on why he’s backing Ming »

We already have two party leaders attuned to opinion polls and sound bite responses, I want a Leader who will be different. Someone whose instinctive response to events is based on Liberal values and principles. Ming Campbell is that person, and in addition he offers depth, experience and authority.

There are many immediately obvious reasons for backing Ming – the credibility he brings to the leadership and for the party, the professionalism he shows in managing teams of colleagues and the depth of his liberalism, borne from years of campaigning for our cause when it was decidedly less than fashionable. Yet for those of us privileged to work with Ming, it’s also his personal warmth – how caring he is towards staff, his willingness to listen and his sense of humour. If party members back him, they won’t just be getting one of the most respected voices in British politics today, they’ll discover they’ve elected one of the nicest, most easy to talk to and committed leaders the party has ever had.

You can also listen to Ed’s podcast where he explains why he is backing Ming »