POLICY IS FOREIGN TO FARRON

WHILE he was President of the Lib Dems for four years, Tim Farron avoided being tainted by ministerial office. It’s why he’s a favourite to succeed nick Clegg as Lib Dem leader.

At the launch of his re-election campaign as MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Shirley Williams, the party’s elder stateswoman, was asked by the huffington Post about his prospects. ‘The problem slightly is . . . he’s not a foreign policy man. The problem would be i f politics shifts i ncreasingly towards Mr Putin and his really aggressive foreign policy, then it would be more difficult for Tim to be leader.’

Farron’s j ob since he stood down as president in December? Foreign affairs.