Of course I am dissappointed – ‘cos I had set my heart and soul on Chris winning. But it wasn’t to be – this time. But I am so proud of him – the way he won the campaign itself, the ideas he put forward that will now become part of the Lib Dem landscape and to have been close to the emergence of a real Lib Dem star. Lib Dems have done really well out of this contest – and it was a proper contest – exciting to the last.

Ming will be a wonderful leader – it will just be different than it would have been with Chris. I look foward to a real period of renaissance and to successful local elections in May.