Lib Dem hopefuls go head to head

Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne separately addressed a crowd of 100 party activists in a school hall at Newbury, Berkshire, in what was effectively an unofficial hustings.

The pair, who announced they will stand as candidates this week, did not go up against each other in a debate but shook hands in a brief exchange as they swapped places to speak to their audience.

The conference of the party's South Central region was planned, and Mr Clegg and Mr Huhne were booked to speak, long before it was known that a leadership race was in the offing. But both took the chance to outline their credentials for the role of leader.

But the timing of the event and the involvement of the only candidates in a two-horse race makes it inevitable that it was seen as a "beauty contest" kicking off the leadership battle.

Home affairs spokesman Mr Clegg launched his campaign on Friday with a warning to Lib Dems that they must switch their focus from internal party wrangling to appealing to the electorate.

"The stakes are high," he told supporters in his Sheffield Hallam constituency.

"If we're honest, over the last two years or so the Liberal Democrats have been looking inwards too much.

"We cannot test the patience of the British people any longer... We must step up or risk falling back for good."

Mr Huhne, who holds the party's environment brief, was the first to enter the race on Wednesday, promising to fight for "a fairer and greener society with people in charge".