Imagine the scene. It’s a few weeks before the next general election. Gordon Brown – now Prime Minister – is reeling off another of his lists of economic statistics. He is about to launch New Labour’s general election campaign centred – as they have all been – on their economic record.

Who as Liberal Democrat leader could match him economic fact for economic fact in the debate in Parliament? Who will persuade leading journalists during the subsequent forensic media cross-examination as regards those key pocket-book issues?

For me, the clear answer is Chris Huhne.

Chris’s record as an economist, successful businessman and senior economics journalist give him the skills and expertise to do just that.

Of course credibility is not the only thing.

Important to me too are the beliefs behind Chris’s economic credibility.

A strong belief in the environment – to be protected and restored by taxing the activities that damage it while using the revenues to provide alternatives such as better public transport.

A commitment to social justice, most importantly by taking the poorest out of income tax all together.

Chris has the right priorities for our party, and decades of experience campaigning for them.

But Chris also showed his strength of character long before entering politics.

One of his first assignments as a journalist was reporting undercover from India during Mrs Ghandi’s crisis.

Chris stood up to Robert Maxwell – continuing to report his wrongdoings despite having four libel writs outstanding.

This shows a certain bravery and principle that was sorely missing from many journalists who took the easy option and turned a blind eye to Maxwell’s crimes.

There are only a few short weeks between the election of our new leader and the vital May local election campaigns (including in my own patch – Haringey – where we hope to take control of the council from Labour).

We need a leader who will be absolutely sure-footed in dealing with the media from day one, if not before. In just the few weeks of this leadership campaign Chris has shown his ability to win media coverage – coming from 200-1 outsider to within sight of the winning post.

What’s more, Chris’s campaigning experience of facing down one of the best-funded Tory campaigns in southern England and winning also means that with him as leader we can be sure to have someone who actively and productively supports our campaigning activity and leads by example in using the latest campaign techniques.

That’s why so many of the MPs who were elected for the first time last May – like both myself (a huge swing from Labour) and Lorely Burt, winner of Solihull on a dramatic swing from the Tories – are backing Chris.

We’ve seen the benefits of fighting modern, cutting-edge campaigns in our own seats, winning from both Labour and the Tories – and want to see those ideas spread much, much further in the party.

The wealth of experience Chris would bring to being leader of our party is reflected in the breadth of support he has already built up – including such highly experienced participants in the political scene as Bill Rodgers (SDP founder and former leader in the House of Lords).

Bill has seen an awful lot of party leaders of all stripes come and go over the decades – far more than me! – and in his measure, Chris certainly has what it take to lead and to win.

With any leader, there’s always a careful balance to be struck between wanting someone who will lead and give direction on the one hand, and on the other hands having someone who will respect and work with the party’s – quite rightly democratic – policy-making process.

With Chris, we know what we’re getting. He’s already chaired the party’s key public services policy commission under Charles Kennedy – working successfully with all parts of the party to produce a distinctive, effective and liberal set of policies to improve our services and radically cut down the power of central government and central bureaucrats.

Outside the party too, Chris is rated as the man who can do it:

“Brains and political acumen to match Labour ministers” (Guardian)
“Fluent and persuasive” (Daily Telegraph)
“No political novice … he has long been one of the party’s key thinkers” (BBC)
“Strong reputation” (ITN)
“A high profile among Lib Dem members” (The Times)
“Able” (The Independent)

If you’re still not sure if you agree with me, or the Guardian, or the Daily Telegraph, or the BBC, or ITN, or The Times, or The Independent, or … (!), you can find out more about Chris at his website, www.chris2win.org

Alternatively, if you would like to hear what others are saying about Chris, why not have a look at http://www.bloggers4chris.org.uk – as a featured blogger, I really recommend it!