Nick has this morning confirmed his candidacy, speaking from his Sheffield constituency.

And as I predicted he is already challenging the party, saying that it needs to “come out of its comfort zone”.

He still doesn’t have a real campaign website (though you can sign up as a supporter and there is a Facebook group) - perhaps reflecting that he had no infrastructure set up for a leadership campaign before Monday’s shock announcement - but you can read a piece by him in this morning’s Yorkshire Post.

It sets out typically fluently his vision for how the Liberal Democrats can best move forward and serve the British people. It’s best summed up in one phrase of his, I think:

It’s when I talk to the people I represent, that I am convinced it is liberalism that offers the answers to the problems they face.

and going on to say:

Under my leadership, I want the Liberal Democrats to become a gathering point for everyone who wants a different type of politics in Britain. A politics that begins by giving power to individuals, their families and their communities. A politics which places its faith in people, not systems - in communities not bureaucracies.

I believe that is the British way. We are a nation with a strong sense of fair play and social justice, and a natural instinct to protect the environment for future generations.

We are suspicious of arbitrary power, impatient with bureaucracy and wary of unnecessary government interference. We have always put our faith in the genius of human innovation and in the ability of ordinary men and women to change our world.

This is something all Liberal Democrats can sign up to - but crucially also puts it in a way that appeals also beyond Liberal Democrat ranks.

To be sure, there is more to be filled in over the coming weeks of the campaign, but it seems an excellent start.