I find it amazing that a party would want to have a leader who if he was employed in any other industry would be retired now or would have retired long ago.
All parties should be thinking young, you can bet that if Labour where going to have a fair leadership election there would not have been any o.a.p's in the running, most proffessions are run by young dynamic peolpe with lots to offer and in the back ground are the old boys just guiding them when experience is needed, why is polotics so different. All major companies when handing over the reigns look for young blood with fresh ideas, if politcal parties where run more like a bussiness i think you would have better polotics.

mills, cape town, south africa

Having voted LibDem in the past I would never consider doing it ever again after their shameful behaviour in Scotland. If the only party you will going into coalition with is Labour, then ill just vote Labour next time round thank you very much. I thought Labour were bad for taking orders from Westminster, but Nicol has really taken the biscuit! Considering their entire political lives they have argued for PR, and harangued the Tories for not adapting to coalition politics, in the aftermath of the election, they didn’t like the result and therefore have totally spat the dummy. Its pathetic.

If the LibDems could not get recognition whilst holding several ministerial positions, implementing 80% of their manifesto and their Scottish leader being deputy First Minister, then I don’t know what they think being in opposition will do to them. They are committing electoral suicide, which after their recent actions, I warmly welcome

Scott, Perth, Scotland

The main problem is that he has carried his 2003-2005 anti-Iraq war-'foreign statesman' with gravitas-always in the Newsnight chair persona over into the Lib Dem leadership role, but it's not working and he looks increasingly like a one-trick pony, and a pretty decrepid pony at that. If the Tories still had Major in charge and Labour John Smith, then he would fit in well with the surroundings, but not now. The Lib Dems should have chosen Huhne (admittedly an unknown quantity) and stuck with him, with Campbell kept on as foreign affairs spokesman, lending a serious voice on policy and political and parliamentary experience. Moreover the Lib Dems have lost their wider appeal under Kennedy and his brand of affable politics and are being buffeted about by the winds of the major parties' activities.

dukeofmalvern, Colchester, England

Does it matter and what difference would it make whoever they get in to replace him?

Most of the stronger candidates were taken out in the last leadership battle through personal scandal. That is precisely why Sir Menzies was elected then; there was no one else.

edwardingle, chesham,

He is well past his prime, dour no charisma and lethargic needs to retire graciously.

Mike, Burley-in-Wharfedale, West Yorkshire

To say that Campbell has done major damage to the Lib/Dems in Scotland would be an understatement. Nicol Stephen is seen as an impotent mouthpiece on Scottish issues, since his submission to Campbell's directive not to form government with the SNP who undoubtably won the Scottish Election.

He barely merits mention in the Scottish media who cannot understand why the Lib/Dems would not form a partnership with a government who's policies in most cases mirrored their own. It is seen as a missed opportunity to get some positive runs on the board before the general election.

Mike, Edinburgh, Scotland

Ming has brought gravitas and stabiliity to the Party much needed to fill the hiatus created by the ladership failure of Charles Kennedy. Whilst there are a number of potential Canidates for leadership the time for change is not now. It is neither needed nor necessary.

The temporary decline in support for the Party has less to do with its leadership than the pendulum swing to the Conservatives that always temporarily adversely affects Lib Dem support.

Harry Davies, Chorleywood, Herts

It's obvious that Nick Clegg will emerge from behind Ming sooner or later, and sooner would be better as Nick Clegg is fresh enough to give Cameron and Brown a thorough pasting - and has wider appeal than most in the LDs.

Matty, maesteg, wales

Having been a life long Lib Dem Voter I find myself for the first time questioning whether to switch my vote. I feel that Sir Menzies does not convey the right message which the Lib Dems need to bring across to the voters as the leader of a vibrant 3rd political party.
I believe that Nick Clegg should become their next leader as he is very charismatic,comes across as genuine and communicates his views a lot clearer than Sir Menzies Campbell does.

James Russell, York,

Bring back Charles!

Bernard Tapp, Bristol,

It was neither liberal nor democratic to appoint Campbell as leader, when Kennedy had been voted into power.

Edmund Burke, Kingston upon Thames, England

You reap what you sow. The Lib Dems couldn't wait to get Charles Kennedy out and manouvered behind his back to do so. Simon Hughes may have proved to be a decent leader but Ming got the job by default and has since been woefully inadequate.

In Ming Campbell the party once had an elder statesman but they have learned you cannot always be an elder statesman and a successful leader. On top of all this, the outcome in Scotland should be cause for concern. Nicol Stephen may also have to go. The man who would be king is now sitting holding his thumbs on the opposition benches and wondering where it all went wrong.

Gregor Addison, Glasgow, Scotland