5 reasons for Ming to worry after conference

So Ming's speech got glowing write ups and the ICM/Guardian poll put them on 20 per cent, meaning activists returned home happy and MPs can breath a sigh of relief. But if the Liberal Democrats are thinking they can congratulate themselves for "getting away with it" in Brighton this week, they are mistaken.

Here are 5 reasons why

1. Last year Ming's age was a big issue at party conference, as it was this year. Next year - if there hasn't been a general election or a coup - it will still dog Ming, who will then be 67. Aides would be wrong to think he had "solved" the issue simply by talking about it.

2. Ming suggestively called David Cameron a "substance free zone" in last year's speech. This year he stuck more to the politics and delivered a sharper critique on Brown and Labour, suggesting a move to the centre. But Ming insists he is on the centre-left of British politics, and there was little in his speech that would attract disaffected Tory voters. Is this electorally sensible?

3. The party's message on tax, the most radioactive of issues, is confusing and Ming is largely to blame. Their policies would mean tax cuts for 90 per cent but on Sunday when Ming, apparently in error, agreed with the statement that his tax policies would "hammer" the rich without spelling out what it means. The public are confused and used to assuming the worse with the Lib Dems. The party must agree a line and stick to it.

4. It is hard for the third party to make the political weather, but the Liberal Democrats can and should try harder. They used to have a reputation for holding government to account effectively, by combing through government documents and Parliamentary Answers. Inexcusably, this has stopped in some key policy areas. Putting pressure on the government will generate easy positive headlines.

5. Above all, ditch the self pity. It was hard to escape the everybody-hates-us feeling in some corners of Brighton. Ming set the tone by blaming the media in his closing speech, as do so many others. What happened to the bold response and tough skin? Get over it and grow up. The party must get out of the comfort zone in order to make more of a impact.