Lib Dem leadership candidates want ex-leaders in their teams

8.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 16th Nov 2007

They both want ex leaders on board

The two men vying to be the next Lib Dem leader have both said they would happily welcome back their predecessors into their front bench teams. They were speaking during a special edition of Question Time on BBC TV. Mr Clegg said he had already had private conversations with Sir Menzies Campbell and Charles Kennedy. Mr Huhne said it would be foolish not to make use of men of their "calibre".

Mr Clegg he had been in private conversations with Mr Kennedy and Sir Menzies and added: "If they want a big job in my shadow cabinet I would be absolutely delighted."

Mr Huhne said the party was blessed with a "tremendously talented front bench" but added: "When you have two people of the calibre of Charles and Ming it would be foolish of any leader not to bring them in and use them as part of a team, absolutely on the front line. That would be my intention and hope."

During the head-to-head debate both men agreed there were not many differences between them and paid tribute to each other at the end. Mr Clegg added: Sometimes similarity is a good thing."

Ballot papers will be sent out to Liberal Democrat members on 21 November, with the party's new leader unveiled on 17 December.