So it's goodbye Ming, despite one of the more impressive lists of Facebook friends you'll see. The problem, one suspects, is that Ming's friend list was also the list of the only UK ciizens who'd vote for him.

From the BBC News website:

Sir Menzies Campbell has resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats, "with immediate effect". Senior Lib Dems Vincent Cable and Simon Hughes made the announcement, saying the party owed Sir Menzies "a huge debt of gratitude".

Speculation has been growing about the Lib Dem leadership, particularly since Prime Minister Gordon Brown decided not to call an early general election - and indicated he may not do so until 2009 at the earliest.

[source: BBC News - 'Liberal Democrat leader resigns']

It's a little difficult to stomach the notion that Gordon Brown's election-that-never-was has brought about Ming's downfall.

After all, if you're a Liberal Democrat (and at least one Dayorama author is), then you'd be a fool to have installed Ming in the first place if the premise was Gordon Brown taking the nation to the polls as soon as he assumed power.

Nobody expected Brown to call an election when he took over, and the media fervour of the last few weeks has only been because wildly excited political journalists thought 2009 had come early. All the political hacks I've seen have looked decidedly downbeat since Gordo chickened out.

It doesn't seem unreasonable to conclude that equally disappointed Lib Dems, staring terrible opinion polls and a two-year wait in the face, saw breaking an antique Ming as an excuse for the cheap thrill of a leadership contest.

Not that anyone outside the party can name any other Liberal Democrats to take over, with a few exceptions. We know Vince Cable because he just told us Ming had resigned and he's the acting leader; we know Lembit Opik because he's bonking a Cheeky Girl; and we know Charles Kennedy because he used to be leader.

It's not a world class squad, is it? If the Lib Dems were in the Rugby World Cup, they'd have been Georgia. And just as there are only eight rugby pitches in the entire former Soviet state (fact), so there are few visible opportunities for the Lib Dems to develop.

Credit, though, where credit is due. A search to see which of Ming's Facebook friends has recently updated their profile reveals some staunch loyalty among the faithful:

Oh, and speaking of the faithful, let's see if Ming and I have any mutual friends...

Well done Rachel - but shame on you, Amy Jones. Bet you're Charles Kennedy's friend...