Strong and Independent Liberal Democrats reject Brown's attempt to co-opt Peers
Gordon Brown wanted to appoint Liberal Democrat peers to his ministerial team, it has emerged. The Prime Minister-in-waiting offered former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown the post of Northern Ireland Secretary, and wanted to appoint other Lib Dem peers to non-cabinet roles, but Menzies Campbell and Lord Ashdown rejected the proposal. Lord Ashdown told the BBC, "I told him [Brown] that I could not conceivably consider such a position unless my leader told me that he thought it was a good idea and even if he did, I didn't." This comes just two months after Menzies Campbell rejected overtures from David Cameron about putting forward a joint Lib Dem - Tory candidate for London mayor. There is debate in the papers and political blogs about whether this was a genuine attempt by Brown to form a 'government of all the talents' (there are rumours he has approached Tories and non-party figures too) or simply a cheap gesture to look open and pluralist that he knew would be rejected. Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis said on
