Focus still on Campbell leadership

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As the party debated radical proposals to tackle climate change, a frontbench peer broke ranks to express sympathy with concerns that Sir Menzies' early performances had been "disappointing".

Meanwhile, former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy also dismissed claims that his successor was facing tougher political conditions than was previously the case.

Rumblings over whether Sir Menzies is the right man to take the party forward have dogged the first half of the conference in Brighton, fuelled by polls showing its support has slumped to 15% from 23% at the last general election.

Sir Menzies took to the stage for a question and answer session designed to give voters and activists the chance to "get to know" the leader. However, over the course of 45 minutes he joked about being a "failure" and appeared to confuse "Italy" and "India" when talking about emerging economic powers.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lord McNally, the Lib Dem leader in the Lords, urged the party's "young Turks" to let Sir Menzies get on with his job.

But he also voiced agreements with some of the doubts from his predecessor in the upper house, Lord Rodgers - who said on Sunday he was "disappointed" with Sir Menzies' performance.

"Bill Rodgers is a wise old owl. He has seen quite a lot of politics. He knows the difficulty of leading a third party," Lord McNally said. "I think he is right about some of the elements of criticism about Ming finding his early pace."

Mr Kennedy insisted he was completely behind Sir Menzies, and there was "no appetite" among MPs or activists for a leadership challenge. "Ming's made it quite clear he's here to say. So he should, and he's got my full support," he said during interviews for regional radio.

Another former leader, Lord Ashdown insisted that ambitious colleagues should back off and not undermine him.