I am voting for Mark Pack as Lib Dem president

Liberal Democrat members will have received an email giving them details of how to vote online in the party's internal elections. The polls close at 5pm on Friday 8 November.

So many people tried to vote this morning that the system fell over, so I have decided to wait until things calm down.

When they do, I shall be voting for Mark Pack as party president.

Because:

• I have known him since the glory days of Lib Dem blogging.
• He knows the party inside out.
• He is a strong organiser and campaigner.
• Along with David Howarth, he has pushed for the party to build a core of liberal supporters rather than try to be all things to all people. (Simon Titley was calling for this back in 2004.)

And there is one negative reason:

• Christine Jardine is an impressive MP, but I have never believed that party president is a job for an MP.