Lib Dems set to announce leader

Home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg is the odds-on bookies' favourite to emerge the victor in his battle with Chris Huhne, who holds the environment brief.

A postal ballot of the party's 65,000 members closed on Saturday following a series of head-to-head hustings across the country.

Mr Clegg, the 40-year-old young gun, has the declared backing of 38 of his 62 Commons colleagues and enjoyed a healthy 12-point lead in one recent opinion poll.

But his older rival, who highlighted his experience outside politics, was hopeful of securing the support of thousands of members who waited until the last minute to vote.

Acting leader Vince Cable, whose interim performances have fuelled a surge of popularity for his own leadership credentials, said recently the race was too close to call.

Plaudits for his caretaker role - including comparing Prime Minister Gordon Brown with Mr Bean at question time - have coincided in an opinion poll revival for the party.

One survey at the weekend put them up one point on 14%.

But Mr Cable ruled himself out of the contest from the start, fearing that at 64 he would be a victim of the same "irrational prejudice" shown against 66-year-old Sir Menzies.

Sir Menzies, who beat Mr Huhne to the top job in January last year when Charles Kennedy was ousted after admitting a drink problem, faced constant jibes about his age.