Charles Kennedy turns tough

Charles Kennedy today tried to shake off his nice-guy image by laying into Tony Blair and his "shop-soiled" Government.

The Liberal Democrat leader used his closing speech at the party's conference to accuse the Prime Minister of taking Britain to war through a "small clique" at No 10, shrouded in secrecy and regardless of public doubts.

And he declared that his party was overtaking the Tories and their leader Iain Duncan Smith, who he scorned as uninspiring and destined to lose his job.

The attacks signalled a new drive to get tough after critics had rounded on Mr Kennedy for his laid-back approach.

An aide said: "There's a new edge to this speech. It's very oppositional and he's taking the fight to Labour and the Tories."

In past conference speeches, Mr Kennedy has branded Labour a " disappointment" in office.

Today he said: "It's no longer a question of people being disappointed with this Government. After six

years of failure they despair of this Government."

Recalling the Prime Minister's words on taking office that Labour would be "the people's servants", Mr Kennedy said: "Good instincts. Good ideals. Today tarnished for good.

"They seek to manage not lead; to manipulate, not tell it as it is. The Government has lost its way. It's tired and fractious, and trust in the Prime Minister sinks day by day."

And he called the Tories "charlatans and chancers" for "criticising the consequences of a war for which they were the principal cheerleaders".

But the speech left unanswered questions about the direction of Lib-Dem policy. Mr Kennedy skirted around the debate on taxation and spending, and his party's proposals to raise income tax for the highest earners. He claimed the debate had "moved on" to how well taxes were being spent.

He claimed the Lib-Dems could cut central government spending by one per cent to free up £5billion for 150,000 more nurses, teachers and police officers.

He promised to retain "self-discipline" by resisting extra regulation from Whitehall. And he warned his party's Left wing: "Social liberalism and freedom must also be about harnessing the power of the market to do good."

At the end of a week in Brighton buoyed by strong opinion-poll ratings and last week's by-election win, Mr Kennedy spent longer dwelling on Lib-Dem electoral prospects than on putting forward principles or policies.

He said: "With the others in disarray, people want us to be more ambitious. And I don't lack ambition for us, I want to see our ambitions realised for them.

"Last year I said it was a realistic ambition for us to start overtaking the Conservatives. This year, be in no doubt, we are overtaking the Conservatives.

"Be in no doubt, we are the only credible challenge to the Government. And that means going on being realistic and straight."

Mr Kennedy touched on a " decapitation" strategy by his party - to target the seats of top Tories who could challenge for the leadership if Mr Duncan Smith is ditched after the next election. He said: "We've panicked Michael Howard in Folkestone. It'll be something of a goodnight from him come the general election.

"And as for Theresa May, I wouldn't want to be in her shoes in Maidenhead."

Mayoral challenger Simon Hughes MP could overtake Tory Steven Norris as Ken Livingstone's main challenger next year, he added.

Last week's by-election victory in Brent East had transformed his party's prospects in London, he told the Evening Standard. "There's a window of opportunity there that has not been as ajar as it is now for a good 15 years. We must capitalise on it."