Kennedy: Blair attack

Voters should use the June 10 European election to send Tony Blair a message on the Iraq conflict, Charles Kennedy has said.

Speaking as he launched his European manifesto, the Liberal Democrat leader said Britain's isolation on issues such as Iraq and the single currency proved Britain was "inadequately engaged at the heart of Europe".

He said voters should send Tony Blair an "unambiguous message" that "you no longer speak in our name".

"It is of course Iraq which has done the most damage. It is breathtaking to choose to distance our country so dramatically from both the United Nations and the European Union at one and the same time," he said.

"To govern is to choose and that political choice having been made on his part, European elections are the most appropriate forum to cast judgement on the wisdom of this government."

Green push

Kennedy also sought to put the environment centre stage for the European elections.

As Labour and the Conservatives slug it out over the detail of the European constitution, the Lib Dem leader made the case for a more concerted EU-wide effort to combat pollution and climate change.

"The Liberal Democrats are distinctive among the main parties in putting concern for the environment at the heart of our approach," he said.

"We believe that people recognise the benefits of Europe working together to tackle pollution and give a lead to environmental protections throughout the world."

The Lib Dems are warning that pollution "does not respect national borders".

"Problems such as climate change, acid rain or the threat to the ozone layer cannot be effectively tackled by nations acting alone.  EU-wide coordinated action is vital and is proving effective," says the manifesto.

Commitments in the document include:

• The EU should be at the forefront of global climate negotiations to persuade other countries to ratify the Kyoto agreement and extend it.
  
  
• Replacing the Common Agricultural Policy with a Food and Rural Policy.
  
  
• Making sure that decisions about whether to grow GM crops are taken using scientific evidence on the basis of the precautionary principle.
  
  
• Reforming aviation taxation to support cleaner fuels and more efficient aircraft.