Kennedy: Real alternative?

Charles Kennedy has insisted there is no ceiling to his party's ambition as it enters the election campaign.

Addressing the closing session of his party's Spring conference the Lib Dem leader said his team represented the real alternative.

The Liberal Democrats claim that suggestions of a Tory revival are wrong - warning there is no sign of a comeback in Scotland, Wales or the northern cities.

As he called for the phased withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, Kennedy said the British public backed his approach on the wider policy agenda.

"The British public see in us a real alternative. A real alternative that’s on their side where the big issues are concerned," he told delegates.

"Axing the council tax. Abolishing student tuition fees. Guaranteeing free personal care for the elderly. Tackling pension unfairness – especially for women.

"Pursuing positive engagement in Europe – and the wider world. With real action to promote the environment."

Ready for poll

Kennedy, whose poll rating has dropped in recent weeks, insisted he was ready for the general election - which is widely expected on May 5.

"So far this campaign has had all the hallmarks of the kind of spin that turns people off," he said.

"Take the latest row over cancelled hospital operations. The slanging match between Labour and the Conservatives - as they both scrabble for headlines - demeans our politics.

"What people want are positive solutions to sustain and strengthen our National Health Service. What they seek is good schools and hospitals – run efficiently.

"They want proper public provision for the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society."