The party members expected me and Menzies Campbell to contest it and they wanted to have that choice. That is the serious choice – a choice between the well known Liberal Democrats who have a track record, who are tried and tested, who have fought and won elections and campaigned up and down the country.

Chris Huhne arrived in parliamentary politics eight months ago.

Hughes added that Huhne was not “in the same league” and that his seat could be vulnerable at the next general election. Oooh!

Hughes has a poll too and, guess what, “it’s a two horse race!”

This poll, conducted for the Hughes campaign by Communicate Research on Wednesday, found that Lib Dem voters went 31% to Ming, 19% for Hughes and just 6% cent for Huhne. Note it is for voters, not members.

UPDATE : Guido has been rejected for Lib Dem membership on the grounds that Guido Fawkes is not a real name (?) and that the person who paid by credit card for Guido’s membership was not a recorded member of the SDP. Strangely he actually was in the SDP and famed for throwing a cricket ball from the outfield at the wicket to which David Owen was running during an MPs vs Youth Wing match. A SDP career shortening experience Guido was warned. It was that for different reasons, the SDP folded a couple of months later. Immediately prior to that, Guido’s membership of the Federation of Conservative Students contributed to Norman Tebbit closing that down for being too right wing. (Not something Tebbit worries about today.) Guido stopped joining political parties after two closures in a row.