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Senior Liberal Democrats responded warmly to Tim Farron's first conference speech as leader - praising his passion, wit and humour.

Speaking just moments after an emotional Farron had left the stage to a roaring ovation, Alistair Carmichael, the party's last remaining Scottish MP said: "I think he absolutely nailed it.

"It's one of the greatest leaders' speeches, especially a first leader's speech I've ever seen. It had passion. It put us right back in the heart of the economic debate, it gave us a Liberal Definition on the refugee crisis."

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Farron appeared to be on the verge of tears while speaking about his visit to Calais to see the impact of the refugee crisis first hand.

Former MP Simon Hughes said: "He is emotional, but there's nothing wrong with emotion.

"I think he was choking up on more than one occasion and there were other people around me - and me - who were choking up as well because if you're seeing orphaned youngsters in refugee camps when you're a dad of children of the same age you can't help be emotional."

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And ex-party leader Sir Menzies Campbell said Farron had "carved out for the Liberal Democrats a really distinctive position" on Europe, refugees and social housing - something he admitted was essential to the party's future success.

He said: "Certainly if we can campaign on these three issues which he outlined, with the same kind of passion as he talked about them, then that gives us a quite extraordinary opportunity to make progress."

And he didn't think Farron had shot himself in the foot by declaring the X Factor "terrible."

He said: "The X Factor is a bit like marmite - you either like it or you hate it. I watch it ocassionally - but I'm afraid Saturday nights in our house are given over to casualty. I don't mind admitting that.

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But it shows he's a man of the people doesn't it? If it's what the children want, it shows he's a good dad."

Farron similarly impressed the rank-and-file in the conference hall.

James, a 17-year-old volunteer at the conference, said the speech "put across passion with a good dose of reality. It was principled but without going off into unrealistic territory."

On Farron's distaste for the X Factor, James said: "Even the people who watch it aren't particularly fond of it. I think he'll get away with it."

But Sean Hooker, a 49-year-old delegate from London suggested a different way to appeal to the party faithful.

"If he'd really wanted to appeal to the liberal democrat heart," he said, "he would have talked about Dr Who."