Kennedy: Renewed assault on PM

Charles Kennedy has come out fighting ahead of a final poll push this week.

Addressing a rally of Lib Dem supporters on Sunday, the Lib Dem leader turned his fire on the "failed premiership" of Tony Blair.

"The question of trust is so important, because so many of the judgements which politicians have to make have nothing to do with the promises in their manifestos," said Kennedy.

"The clearest example of this during the course of the last parliament was of course the issue of Iraq - a word which did not appear in Labour's 2001 manifesto.

"If Tony Blair couldn't trust the Commons with the full facts, if he couldn't trust parliament, why should the country trust him on May 5."

Kennedy hopes he the renewed assault on the integrity of the prime minister will woo disaffected Labour voters.

Speaking in Newbury, Kennedy said Blair's authority is "seriously undermined by Iraq".

"Unless he comes clean, this issue will continue to dog him," he added.

The Lib Dem leader also turned his fire on the "narrow, mean-spirited campaign" mounted by the Conservative leader.

"Michael Howard's Tories have prejudged and misjudged Iraq at every step of the way," he added. "They are every bit as guilty and culpable as the government."