These will be the Lib Dem leadership contenders – and they aren't as liberal as they make themselves out to be

The infamous Rose Garden handshake with David Cameron would not have happened without the support of Cable, Lamb, and Davey

Vince Cable is seeking to become the leader of the Lib Dems (EPA)

Jo Swinson, contrary to being the bookies’ favourite candidate to replace Tim Farron, announced over the weekend that she would not seek to take charge of the Liberal Democrats. Instead, Swinson is aiming for the deputy leadership.

Her decision means that there are now three expected candidates for the leadership, and unfortunately each leaves much to be desired when it comes to offering a third way in British politics.

Vince Cable, the one candidate who has actually announced his candidacy, is undoubtedly a party stalwart and a perpetually present figure for a generation. But he carries heavy baggage. From enabling Tory cuts that hurt the most vulnerable in society as a Coalition minister, to his proximity to the failed 2014 coup against Nick Clegg (as magnanimous as that may have been), to his reputation as primary architect of the £9,000 per year tuition fees fiasco, the media would have no shortage of material on which to denounce Cable's suitability.

Norman Lamb, who lost the leadership race two years ago, is plagued by a record that is hesitant with regards to EU issues. Lib Dem membership has increased from being near 40,000 during the Coalition era to over 100,000 today, in a large part thanks to the party being decisively pro-EU. After all, the Lib Dems were the only major party to take such a united stance at the recent general election. To elect Lamb as leader would negate the primary policy that underpins party support at this time. If that isn’t reason enough to oppose his expected candidacy, Lamb has a mixed voting record when it comes to welfare benefits, and against the ban on fox hunting.

Ed Davey is yet another favourite expected to run, and like those above, he possess a voting record not befitting of a true Liberal Democrat. Davey has voted to punish those in need through the bedroom tax, while protecting the richest in society with votes against the mansion tax, and against taxes on bankers’ bonuses. Additionally, contrary to the Liberal Democrat namesake philosophy of expanding avenues of democratic engagement, Davey has opposed devolution of power through votes to reduce local council powers and funding.

After a fall from grace, the Lib Dems have been teetering on the brink of irrelevancy since their decimation in 2015 as punishment for Clegg's coalition with the Conservatives. That infamous Rose Garden handshake with David Cameron would not have happened without the support of Cable, Lamb, and Davey. Unless the party wishes to spend even more time in the political hinterland, it is time for the Lib Dems to aim for a clean break with the past.

If the party was to be led by one of their new MPs elected in 2017, that fresh start would be underway. Layla Moran, Christine Jardine, Wera Hobhouse, or Jamie Stone would not be plagued by their questionable voting records, nor by the negative connotations of the Coalition government. While they may be newbies on the green benches, and the workload of a leader is undeniably onerous, the next Liberal Democrat leader will be taking charge of 12 MPs, not an entire government.

With a leader untainted by the past, the Liberal Democrats could fashion themselves a unique place in British politics once again; they would no longer be the lap dogs of the Nasty Party as they were under Clegg, nor would they be as financially irresponsible as Corbyn and Momentum. Tim Farron began to shift the party in such a way with its stance on Brexit, and as a result, membership is up, as are the number of Lib Dem MPs. It is time the Liberal Democrats returned to offering a true third way, as they once did under the guidance of the late Charles Kennedy.