I’ve not really blogged about the LibDem leadership election yet. I will do so over the coming weeks, so in advance I’m laying down my ground rules:

1. I’m not going to start jumping up and down for anyone yet. Already too many people (MPs and bloggers) seem to have leapt on the first candidate they saw, declared support before the line-up was clear and then been left wondering if they wouldn’t prefer someone else. Until we’re a bit nearer the nominations deadline and we can be fairly sure who all the candidates are on what platforms they’re standing, I won’t be installing a big – say – “Vote Huhne” banner.
2. The election will be by alternative vote. Therefore, I encourage the use of additional preferences if you have a vote in this election and if I endorse someone it will be as a first choice and not a statement that all of the other candidates are rubbish.
3. Installing a bloodied leader won’t help the party. I will express policy disagreement with some candidates, and I’ll criticise their campaigns where appropriate, but I won’t aim to rip them apart in the hope of helping my preferred candidate(s). If and when I choose to endorse someone, I’ll aim to focus on why they should be leader and not why the others shouldn’t. I won’t be taking chunks out of a candidate whom I don’t support if there’s the possibility that he will be leader in seven weeks’ time.
4. Obviously, therefore, point 3 doesn’t apply to Oaten.

The Scotsman: Ming wins the election.

Two choice selections from Wednesday’s paper. First, in the corrections column, the paper withdraws an entire story:

We said in error that the rap artist 50 Cent is billed to appear in a Sunderland pub on February 29. Neither the performance nor the date will take place. The next leap year is 2008.

Goodness knows how they managed that but the words “press” and “release” and the phrase “cut and paste” spring to mind. Meanwhile, Simon Hoggart on Mark Oaten’s chances:

The reason why [Lembit] is backing Mark’s campaign may be because it is slightly more likely that a heavenly body will destroy all life on earth than that his candidate will become leader of the Lib Dems.

BBC News: Under-fire Kennedy to step down: He will announce at 3pm that he is stepping down as party leader.