Kennedy: ‘Voters unsure what Lib Dems are about’
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy has admitted voters still do not know what his party is “all about”.
In reference to the party’s recent general election campaign, Mr Kennedy said people liked many Lib Dem policies, such as their opposition to the Iraq war and student fees.
But he acknowledged that the party’s appeal to voters had lacked an overall theme.
“We had very distinctive policies – whether it was our view on Iraq, whether it was our opposition to top-up fees and so on,” said Mr Kennedy, speaking on BBC’s News 24 Sunday programme.
“I think that what the evidence seems to suggest is that people cherry-pick and agree with quite a number of these policies, but at the same time they did not have an overall answer in their minds to the question ‘what is this party all about?”
“I think that is the challenge for the next period,” he added.
The Scotsman accepted that he was to blame, saying “the buck stops here”, but he denied that his authority had been undermined after Lib Dem MPs rejected his choice for parliamentary party chairman.
Mr Kennedy had wanted Matthew Taylor to retain the key job, but Paul Holmes secured the role after winning a vote of MPs.
Asked if he intended to remain as Lib Dem leader, Mr Kennedy said: “I hope so, I intend to. My colleagues have given me unanimous support.”
Mr Kennedy, who has launched a complete review of his party’s policies, also defended Lib Dem plans to scrap the council tax and said he would not be abandoning plans to introduce a local income tax.
