I am most interested in how Cambridgeshire’s Lib Dems feel about the unfortunate actions of Lord Rennard and how the Lib Dem party has reacted.

A straight question to Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert and Lib Dem councillors “Do you think Lord Rennard should be sacked from the party?”

Lord Rennard continues to make headlines for his alleged attitude and actions towards female members of his party. If reports are to believed he doesn’t sound a very nice chap and appears to have abused his position of power within the Lib Dem party.

From time to time bad things happen by bad people, but only if good people allow it.

What has amazed me has been the response of his party members and of the party leadership!

On one hand his fellow Lib Dem peers appear to think he hasn’t done anything wrong.

Yet, Nick Clegg appears to see it differently. He has demanded that Lord Rennard apologises. I can only deduce that Nick Clegg, who I assume has been well briefed on this mess, believes that at some level at least Lord Rennard has behaved in inappropriately.

It looks as if Lib Dems highly democratic, rules are getting in the way of justice and doing the right thing. For any party, this is a difficulty, but for Nick Clegg a potential disaster. You can’t alienate half the population and get away with it.

It seems the Lib Dem culture of trying to please everybody all of the time through collective decision making usually ends up pleasing very few. Ideology meets the real world.

Now is the time for the Lib Dem leader to exert his leadership and do the right thing. If that causes issues later then so be it. No one said being a leader is easy. Unless this is dealt with soon it will rumble on for some time yet.

Now is the time for our local Lib Dems to let us know if they support Lord Rennard remaining in the party.