Charles Kennedy has rallied his troops ahead of a crucial week of election campaigning.

With parliament set to disperse for the Easter recess, the Liberal Democrat leader told MPs and candidates at a briefing in Westminster that they should take a positive message to the country.

Slamming the government's record and the Conservatives' "politics of fear," he claimed the Lib Dems are ready to take seats from both major parties.

With an election widely expected to be called when the Commons returns from its break at the start of April, Thursday's event was seen as a final rallying of troops.

"Unlike 1997, Tony Blair now has a record in government to defend," Kennedy said.

"He has to face the loss of public trust, especially after Iraq - and after eight years of a Labour government, he can't keep blaming the Conservatives for all the problems in Britain.

"The Conservatives are picking on opportunistic issues designed to shore up their core vote. Immigration, asylum, gypsies. Their new campaign chief refers to these as 'dog whistle' issues. I call them the politics of fear.

"All the indications suggest that this squabbling is turning voters off. And it demeans our politics. If we want to be successful in this campaign we must engage the public. So Liberal Democrats will continue offer real solutions to the problems people face every day."

Honesty

The Lib Dem leader called on candidates not to be shy about policies that may be attacked as soft, such as raising taxes for higher earners or defending civil liberties.

He said the party would be rewarded in the polls for its "honest approach".

"In this parliament we have been the real opposition to the Labour government over Iraq, over top-up fees, ID cards and the council tax," Kennedy claimed. 

"The Conservatives have either lined up with Labour or flip-flopped.

"And we have stood up against Labour's authoritarian instincts in defence of Britain's civil liberties. At this election we will offer a real alternative.

"There are no limits to our ambition. There are no no-go areas for the Liberal Democrats. We are aiming to take seats from both Labour and the Conservatives in every region of the country."