Lib Dems keeps focus on leadership

As Sir Menzies put the final touches to a crucial conference speech, some of his most high-profile colleagues were engaged in an apparent public slanging match.

The spat began when home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg broke ranks to signal at a fringe meeting on Tuesday night that he would "probably" seek the top job if Sir Menzies stood down. The intervention drew a sharp response from Mr Clegg's likely future leadership rival, environment spokesman Chris Huhne, who accused him of speaking "prematurely" because there was no vacancy.

Having actively sought out journalists at the Brighton Centre on Wednesday morning, Mr Huhne also aimed another thinly-disguised swipe by insisting it "behoved" everyone in the party to show discipline in their comments for fear of damaging Sir Menzies.

"There is no vacancy and it would be premature to even talk about the position of there being a vacancy," he added.

However, Mr Clegg furiously rejected the suggestion that he was throwing his hat in the ring too early, claiming that he was not the kind of "disingenuous" politician who "ducked questions". Mr Huhne has repeatedly avoided spelling out his leadership ambitions, insisting the job is already filled.

"Well of course (the remarks) were premature if we were talking about a leadership contest now - we're not," Mr Clegg told BBC2's Daily Politics. "But I'm afraid I'm not the kind of person who dances on the head of a pin and ducks questions.

"If someone says 'if there's a vacancy some time in the future, might you be in the frame?', I'm not going to be playing this disingenuous game of ruling anything in or out."

Mr Clegg added that Sir Menzies was "comfortable" with what he had said at the fringe event - despite an indiscreet joke by Lady Campbell during the afternoon that she "wasn't sure he was helping".

Sir Menzies took to the airwaves to stress that he was "totally relaxed" about the rumblings over his leadership. He said it boded well for the party's future that there were ambitious "young Turks" vying for position. Both men have categorically ruled out challenging until he departs.