When people accuse the Liberal Democrats of having an identity crisis they usually refer to policies, not their leader-in-waiting or prospective Parliamentary candidates.

So perhaps it was not such a good omen for their leadership candidate Nick Clegg, who was in Oxford today, to be referred to as Neil - by one of his own so-called supporters.

"Calamity Clegg", as supporters of rival Chris Huhne labelled him, dropped in at the Oxford Mosque and Asian Cultural Centre, in Manzil Way, for a brief rally before a debate at the Oxford Union (sandwiched between an interview on Jeremy Vine's BBC Radio 2 show).

And things started well.

Journalists covering Mr Clegg's visit could not come up with a collective noun for a group of Liberal Democrats crammed in a small room, but the mood was cordial nonetheless.

The small throng - consisting mainly of Lib Dem councillors - was excitable and spurred on by the sight of a sizeable group of children spotted in the mosque car park - but the mood turned when the majority of the pack walked straight past Mr Clegg without batting an eyelid.

One of the school group asked "who is he?" to which one of the Clegg welcoming party turned and replied: "is it Neil Clegg?"

With friends like that...

The irony that Mr Clegg was visiting a house of prayer with a little over two weeks to go until the leadership ballot was not lost on those present - it's just a shame more members of the Press didn't turn up.

"I have gone to all of them," a fraught local campaigner muttered to her colleague, before adding: "I sent emails, calling notices and press releases" - but only one scribe and two photographers bothered to turn up.

One activist told me: "David Cameron is trying to be all things to all people - and how many people are turned off by his politics?

"Nick Clegg will come as a breath of fresh air for being young, enthusiastic, idealistic - but principled."

After a tour of the mosque it was left to Steve Goddard, the party's candidate for Oxford East to introduce Mr Clegg - and himself.

And it was a good job he did.

He said: "I am the PPC, in case there are some of you who didn't know.

Sadly, there were. Shortly after Mr Goddard started speaking, a man leaned over my shoulder and asked "Who is the guy with the beard?"

Identity crisis? Ask most people who Clegg is and they will say one of the characters from Last of the Summer Wine.

But the real thing is having none of it.

He said: "I went into politics because I was appalled by the Tory view that there was no such thing as society.

"And what did David Cameron do? He became a footsoldier for Thatcher and the Tories."

Ah, but did he have a normal university experience like Mr Cameron?

"I am not going to start delving into my own past," he said. With a straight face, too.