Charles Kennedy has claimed the Liberal Democrats have broken Labour's monopoly of ethnic minority votes.

Speaking at a Hindu temple in London on Saturday, the Lib Dem leader appealed to people of "all races, cultures and religions" to back his party at the general election.

Kennedy was addressing 2,000 people at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Temple in Neasden in the week the Lib Dems launched their ethnic minority manifesto for the poll.

The party has had considerable success in attracting traditionally loyal Labour Asian voters since the Iraq war, with victories in the Leicester South and Brent East by-elections and is now seeking to hang on to them.

Kennedy was joined in the latter constituency on Saturday by local MP Sarah Teather, who is battling to hold on to her narrow 1,118 vote majority.

He highlighted the Lib Dems opposition to the war, support for free and fair trade, and defence of civil liberties as areas distinct from Labour and the Conservatives.

"The reality of Britain today is that it is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-faith and therefore diverse society. It is a richer society as a result - culturally, socially and financially. The diversity that we see around us also reminds us that we are part of a wider global community," he said.

"The Liberal Democrats embrace that Britain and we celebrate it. We would ensure that our laws reflect that diversity, protecting minorities from discrimination, from victimisation and harassment. And giving all people the opportunity to stand on their own two feet and make a decent living.

"Labour can no longer lay exclusive claim to the votes of Britain's ethnic minorities. Many people in Britain, of all races, cultures and religions, were angry about the way we were taken to war in Iraq. And they saw the principled stand the Liberal Democrats took at the time.

"We want to restore Britain's reputation on the world stage, fighting international poverty, and climate change, protecting human rights and civil liberties and pushing to make sure that free trade is fair for all.

"And we would promote a balanced approach to tackling terrorism. That means tough measures to make Britain safe - but not at the expense of people's fundamental legal rights like has happened at Belmarsh. 

"It means acting through the United Nations on terrorism, but recognising that that means tackling the causes of terrorism - inequality and oppression.

"It means opposing the government's misguided identity card scheme and it means that war must always be used as a last resort."