Nick Clegg has insisted that he will remain leader of the Liberal Democrats until 2020, even if the party is kicked out of government at the 2015 election.
Nick Harvey, the former Lib Dem defence minister, said on Sunday that should the party stay in power Clegg would be in the leadership until the end of the parliament. But if the party finds itself in opposition, Harvey said, ominously for Clegg, "we'll just have to see what happens".
So if Clegg changes his mind (or has it changed for him), who are the leading contenders to take over the leadership?
Lib Dem Leadership
Tim Farron - Party President(01 of06)
Tim Farron, the current party president, is probably the frontrunner for the job should Clegg if the party finds itself out of power after 2015.The 43-year-old Westmorland and Lonsdale MP is a favourite with the grassroots and a crowd pleaser at party conferences with his easy going humour. Farron has also remained untainted by coalition having stayed out of the government with a licence to bash the Tories as much and as hard as he wants. However their experience in government is now one of the Lib Dem's key selling points and Farron's lack of ministerial experience could count against him with party members proud of their time in power. Picking Farron as leader would be a clear signal the party wished to forget that it had been in government with the Conservatives for five years. (credit:Getty Images)
Vince Cable - Business Secretary(02 of06)
There are always leadership rumours surrounding Vince Cable, the current business secretary, and he is more than likely to stand in any contest. Some believe that while experienced, Cable, 70, would be too old to stand should Clegg step down after the election. But the Twickenham MP has pointedly dismissed the idea that the leader of the party needs to be young. Cable, who is on the left of the party and is friendly with senior Labour figures, is also seen as a good fit for Lib Dem leader should Ed Miliband refuse to work with Clegg as the price of a Lib-Lab coalition. Cable has carefully cultivated the image of a man who is a reluctant participant in a Tory-led government. However in the event that the party is out of power, that might not be enough for Lib Dem activists wishing to put the whole sorry-saga behind them. Cable has briefly done the job leader before to great effect, after Sir Ming Campbell stood down, but for members looking for a fresh start his age may count against him. (credit:PA)
Jo Swinson - Business Minister(03 of06)
With only seven female MPs the Lib Dems have a 'women problem' that arguably runs deeper than the Conservative Party's troubles - Swinson could be the answer to that. If Clegg steps down the 34-year-old business minister will be able to point to experience of government while at the same time presenting a fresh, and young, face to the party and the country. As a Scottish MP, Swinson would also be the only Scottish party leader in Westminster in a post-independence referendum Britain.However just like Cable, Swinson's age may count against her in reverse - in 2015 she will be only be 35 years old. There is also the small problem of the general election itself. At 2,184, her majority in East Dunbartonshire is not exactly impossible to overturn by her Labour challenger. And of course if Scotland votes to become independent in 2014, it would be politically impossible to stand for the leadership of a UK party. (credit:PA)
Ed Davey - Energy Secretary(04 of06)
Ed Davey, the current energy secretary, is seen as a likely candidate should there be a vacancy. The 48-year-old presents himself as a serious man and has largely flown below the radar compared to Cable and Farron. But he has launched outspoken attacks on the Tories for their failings on the Green agenda. The Kingston and Surbiton would be seen as a continuation of the Liberal Democrats brand built by Clegg, for good or ill.Unfortunately for Davey, should Clegg quit or be ousted it could be difficult for Davey to present himself as a new, or particularly exciting, face for the party licking its wounds out of power. And being seen as too close to the Tories in coalition would unlikely endear him to the Labour leadership should the party try and form an alliance with Miliband after 2015. (credit:PA)
Danny Alexander - Chief Secretary To The Treasury(05 of06)
The fact that Danny Alexander found himself as chief secretary to the Treasury surprised many. The idea that he might be leader of the party one day surprises even more. Commentators have taken his decision to ditch his glasses and get a new haircut as a signal he might run.The 41-year-old will point to his experience in government taking 'tough decisions' as evidence that he is up to the job. As a Scot, the Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey MP would also be able to argue the advantage of electing a Scottish leader of the party after the independence referendum to show its commitment stretches beyond England.The case against Alexander however is quite convincing. After Clegg, Alexander is the minister most closely linked to the Conservatives, to the extent that even the deputy prime minister was reported to have complained he had "gone native" at the Treasury. In a post-Clegg world, would the party really want to elect someone so closely its Tory coalition past?Alexander also suffers from the same problem as Swinson - Scottish independence would kill off his chances. (credit:PA)
Alistair Carmichael - Scotland Secretary (06 of06)
The dark horse of the race could be Scottish secretary Alistair Carmichael. The 48-year-old straddles the right and the left of the party and could hope to win support from both sides. As a Scot he would have the same advantage as Swinson and Alexander, but if Scotland votes to stay in the union the Orkney and Shetland MP would be able to claim a sizeable portion of the credit personally. Carmichael would be able to point to his experience in government, but at the same time he is not widely seen, for some reason, as being tainted by coalition in the same way some other Lib Dem ministers are. And as a former Lib Dem chief whip - he will know where the bodies are buried. (credit:PA)