イギリスの第３政党、自由民主党（Liberal Democrats、Lib Dems）のミンギス・キャンベル党首（Menzies Campbell、1941年生まれ）が辞任した。
英自民党キャンベル党首が辞任 [Yahoo!ニュース／産経新聞]
英野党第２党、自由民主党のキャンベル党首が１５日、支持率低迷の責任を取る形で辞任した。同党首は在位約１年半。次期党首は１２月中旬までに選ばれる見通し。
同党はイラク戦争反対の立場を鮮明にし、前回の総選挙で議席数を伸ばした。しかし、ブラウン首相がイラク駐留英軍の大幅削減を打ち出すなど米国追随のイラク政策を転換したため、政策の軸を失い支持率が低迷。１１日に実施された英紙デーリー・テレグラフの世論調査の支持率で最大野党、保守党が４３％と与党、労働党を７ポイント引き離す中、自由民主党は１４％と落ち込んだ。
Breaking News Sir Menzies Ming Campbell Resigns Lib Dem ITV
Lib Dem leader steps down [BBC]
Campbell quits as Lib Dem leader [BBC NEWS]
Sir Menzies Campbell has resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats with immediate effect.
In a letter to party president Simon Hughes he said questions about his leadership were "getting in the way of further progress by the party".
Mr Hughes said the party owed Sir Menzies "a huge debt of gratitude".
Deputy leader Vincent Cable will take over as acting leader until a new leader is elected - a decision is expected by 17 December.
The official announcement was made by Mr Cable and Mr Hughes, who said Sir Menzies had taken the decision in the "interests of the party and of Liberal Democracy".
キャンベル党首の「この時期の辞任」に関しては「小林恭子の英国メディア・ウオッチ」でその理由を分析している。
これによると、次期総選挙対策とキャンベル氏の年齢というのが、その主な理由であるようだ。
で、次期党首が誰になるのか。小林恭子氏も挙げているが、ニック･クレッグ／Nick Clegg 氏が有力であるようだ。
クレッグ氏は1967年生まれの40歳。ケンブリッジ大学ロビンソン・カレッジ出身、考古学と人類学を専攻。その後、ミネソタ大学で政治哲学を学ぶ。五ヶ国語に堪能。現在、影の内務大臣（Home Affairs Spokesman）を務めている。
Nick Clegg at Lib Dem spring conference 2007
[Nicholas Clegg MP]
なかなか爽やかで良い感じじゃないかな……個人的に（笑）。『インディペンデント』のオッズは「4/5」だ。
Merciless: How the Lib Dems hounded out their leader [Independent]
Nick Clegg
It has taken just two years in Parliament for Nick Clegg to become the odds-on front-runner to succeed Sir Menzies Campbell.
He let slip his ambitions last month when he admitted he "probably would " stand for the leadership when there was a vacancy for the post.
As a telegenic and articulate 40-year-old, Mr Clegg would provide a youthful new face to the party and could appeal to voters being wooed by David Cameron.
Educated at Westminster School and Cambridge, he dabbled with journalism before moving to work at the European Union. He was elected to the European Parliament in 1999, when he was singled out as a political star of the future by Paddy Ashdown.
Mr Clegg, who is married with two children, swapped Brussels for Westminster at the last election when he was elected for Sheffield Hallam.
Sir Menzies thrust him into the limelight just 10 months later when he appointed him to the home affairs brief. Mr Clegg has sought to develop a policy of "effective liberalism" on crime and immigration and has attacked the Government for eroding civil liberties in the war on terror.
Odds: 4/5
それと「英17歳リベラル政治評論家」（自民党党員）の Jamandell さん（おー、髪切った）が早速、キャンベル党首辞任に関する意見を YouTube に投稿している。
Lib Dems: Ming Campbell resigns as leader
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