Sir Menzies confronts Hughes
Sir Menzies confronts Hughes
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Sunday, 21, May 2006 03:26
Sir Menzies Campbell confronted party president Simon Hughes after he appeared to criticise his leadership, it has emerged.
Mr Hughes said that the Liberal Democrat leader "needed to be judged", and that it was "fair comment" to say more effort should be put into his performance at Prime Minister's Questions.
Sir Menzies, who won more votes than Mr Hughes to become party leader, said they had since had a frank discussion.
"Let me put it this way: I think there were other ways of expressing the position other than those that he chose," Sir Menzies told BBC's Five Live.
"But I am determined that the party which I now have the privilege to lead is going to take advantage of a quite remarkable political opportunity available to us."
Mr Hughes' comments came earlier this month, after a number of MPs and journalists spoke disparagingly of Sir Menzies' performance in the Commons.
At the time, a Liberal Democrat spokesman said the press office was looking at how his performance could be improved.
His own chief of staff Norman Lamb advised Sir Menzies to "relax and be himself".
Mr Hughes had suggested that the party should "take stock" of Sir Menzies' progress at the Liberal Democrats' annual conference in September.