Kennedy begins pre-election campaign
Charles Kennedy has embarked on a pre-election tour of the country to promote his claim that the Liberal Democrats are the “real opposition”.
The Lib Dem leader is expected to visit northern constituencies in Manchester, Liverpool and Leicester before returning to the south to visit Somerset, Basingstoke, Shrewsbury, Dorset and Torbay.
The tour started on Monday morning from Somerset and Frome before concluding on Friday in west London.
Mr Kennedy is hitting the campaign trail after Tony Blair’s whistle-stop tour of the country on Friday to unveil Labour’s new pledge card.
Speaking before his tour, Mr Kennedy, said: “This is three party politics. In the northern cities, the contest is between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. In southern and rural seats – especially in the South West – the principal contenders are the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives (who are out of the running in Scotland and Wales). The constant factor in all these contests is the challenge we pose.
“People have lost trust in this Government and the Liberal Democrats have been the real opposition. From the war in Iraq to tuition fees, the British public feel let down by Labour and the Conservatives aren’t asking the critical questions.”
But, he said that the Lib Dems would be campaigning on a positive message of a “green backbone to government policies”
He continued: “We would abolish tuition and top up fees, offer free personal care to the elderly, scrap the unfair council tax, put thousands more police on our streets and introduce improved pensions for the over 75s”.
Labour is also stepping up its drive in the regions with Welsh Secretary Peter Hain and Welsh Assembly First Minister Rhodri Morgan embarking on a week long tour across Wales to key constituencies.
But despite all this frantic campaigning activity no date for the general election has been set.
Most bookmakers though have stopped taking bets on May 5.
