First batch of thoughts from today's Lib Dem Meeting the Challenge conference at the London School of Economics, where the four leadership candidates spoke.

Best soundbite:

"Open minds are more important than open-necked shirts."
Ming Campbell taking a swipe at David Cameron.

Best joke (in reverse order):

3rd:
"I hope to take my message across the country. But I'm not sure I will - Lembit's flying me."
Mark Oaten pokes fun at his famously un-aerodynamic campaign manager Lembit ?pik.

2nd:
"94 per cent of UK tax goes through Whitehall - that's the second highest proportion in the EU. Behind only Malta. Which, as you all know, has a slightly larger population than the London Borough of Croydon."
Chris Huhne slays the hall using the most unpromising of material. I guess you had to be there - but oh, how we laughed. Honestly.

1st:
"I'm not going to say 'ninthly'."
Unexpected self-awareness from Simon Hughes, whose inability to stop talking was recently mocked affectionately in the Independent when it wrote "you don't want to be around when he says he wants to make 'nine points' on London's transport problems".

Least successful joke:

"Let's get our members more involved using new technology. I was on Question Time. I got some feedback - I was told I needed to get a haircut."
Mark Oaten, whose exaggerated look of bafflement and awkward pat of his shiny bald head and comb-over failed embarrassingly as an attempt at physical comedy.

Photos from the day. It was a fairly dark hall, I was at the back, and I didn't want to risk using a flash, so the quality isn't of the best. Sorry and all.

Press pack
Photographers ignore conference chair Duncan Brack and focus on the four candidates sat out of sight in the front row

Oooh Matron!
Mark Oaten, caught in an unfortunate pose during his attempt at a barnstorming noteless, podiumless speech

So happy together
The candidates put on a quite possibly genuine show of unity at the end of the hustings

The man who missed the boat in the Lib Dem leadership election
Later in the conference, a lone photographer captures Nick Clegg as he chairs a debate. Had Clegg not been so quick to declare his support for Campbell he might well be the bookies' favourite to win right now.