Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Mark Oaten: An uncertain start

It has never been clear why Mark Oaten thinks he is qualified to lead the party. Certainly he will have to do better than today's launch statement, unless it was meant to be amusing.

Try these extracts for size:

Lembit and my wife Linda were up till 2.30 a.m. deciding ... whether or not I should put my name forward to be the next leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Since Charles resigned on Saturday my office has been literally flooded with hundreds and hundreds of e-mails...

You know it is 100 years since the Liberals were last in power. Frankly, that is not good enough.

I believe I am a 21st century Liberal...

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5 comments:

  1. Ian Ridley10 January, 2006 23:41

    Cringed when I heard the 2.30 am line & spotted the 100 year error too. Dear oh dear.

    Didn't spot the flooding though. Must have been messy.

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  2. Anonymous11 January, 2006 00:23

    I don't think you were listening to well - Marks wifes name is Belinda not Linda as you stated - bit of a gaff there and I know him and her well enough to know it wasn't him that made the error.

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  3. Ian Ridley11 January, 2006 09:04

    The quote is taken directly from the Guardian's reproduction of Oaten's statement

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  4. Jonathan Calder11 January, 2006 21:14

    Thanks, Ian.

    I particularly liked the "Frankly, that is not good enough", as though this were a brave and controversial view.

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  5. Anonymous11 January, 2006 23:39

    Sky News interviewed Lembit Opik after Oaten's statement. Asked if Mark Oaten was the Lib Dems' David Cameron, Lembit said "Mark Oaten is the Liberal Democrats' Mark Oaten, and he is unique in that respect". I quote Lembit verbatim as I was so gobsmacked that I made a point of remebering it.

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