Kennedy: Blair has failed as Prime Minister. Tories will not form the next Government.

8.00.00am GMT Mon 2nd May 2005

Charles Kennedy, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

At a rally last night Liberal Democrat Leader, Charles Kennedy, said that after eight years in office Tony Blair's "is now a failed premiership", he told his audience that his "authority is seriously undermined by Iraq. And, unless he comes clean, this issue will continue to dog him."

Mr Kennedy said that the Conservatives "have fought a narrow, mean-spirited campaign, playing to people's fears and appealing to their worst instincts. They will not form the next Government." And he said that "Michael Howard's Tories have prejudged and misjudged Iraq at every step of the way. They are every bit as guilty and culpable as the Government."

On the Government's record Mr Kennedy said "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. 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 the fifth? The plain truth is that Tony Blair's authority is seriously undermined by Iraq. And, unless he comes clean, this issue will continue to dog him. Even if he wins a third term. He is now going to be a lame duck Prime Minister. Iraq will haunt his premiership and his legacy - just as Suez did for Sir Anthony Eden."

On the Conservative Party Mr Kennedy said "They have fought a narrow, mean-spirited campaign, playing to people's fears and appealing to their worst instincts. They will not form the next Government. They certainly don't deserve to form the next Government. On Iraq, Michael Howard's Tories have prejudged and misjudged Iraq at every step of the way. They prejudged and misjudged the case for war. They prejudged and misjudged the Hutton Inquiry. They prejudged and misjudged the Butler Inquiry. They are every bit as guilty and culpable as the Government. They must not be allowed to distract attention from their own uncritical support for the war."

He further said "Both the other Party leaders are time expired. And in the case of the Conservatives - with many of their leading members set to lose their seats to the Liberal Democrats this week - we do not have the faintest idea of which direction that Party will take after polling day. They have already achieved the reputation as the flip flop party, whether on Iraq or council tax revaluation or stamp duty. We can be certain that after May the 5th they will be incapable of speaking with any coherent or effective voice - their very future as a viable party will be in doubt. In these circumstances, our responsibility will be to continue to speak up for those principles which we hold dear."

Mr Kennedy concluded by saying: "So we go into the final lap of this election campaign as the real alternative facing Britain. Fighting for social fairness. For the future of our environment. For the restoration of the rule of law and a better international order. And for liberty."