Originally posted: 19 October 2007, 10.27am.
Thus far, it has looked like Nick Clegg has been getting it all his own way with regard to getting public support from the party establishment. The support of Steve Webb and Paddy Ashdown are, for differing reasons, clearly coups.
But he hasn’t entirely had it his own way. I understand that both Anna Werrin and Dick Newby – the key figures of the Charles Kennedy leadership team – have joined Chris Huhne’s campaign. Is this tacit endorsement of the former leader himself? Both have remained close to him.
UPDATE: Late news here, but Candy Piercy, who ran Charles Kennedy’s leadership campaign in 1999, has also joined Team Huhne.
Dick Newby would have known Chris Huhne in the 1980s when the former was National Secretary of the SDP and the latter was a prominent member (and target seat candidate). Chris Huhne is no latecomer as his 2005 election to Parliament might suggest.
Dick Newby backed Chris last time as well, though I believe it was a lot later in the process and he wasn’t part of the campaign team that time.
Nice. When will Kennedy himself back Huhne?
Candy Piercy ran his campaign? I thought Matthew Taylor did?