Charles Kennedy launches campaign in East Midlands

7.08.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 6th Apr 2005

Charles Kennedy set out the Lib Dem aims for the election

Speaking at a press conference in Kegworth earlier today, Charles Kennedy told regional and national media that the Liberal Democrats would be sending more MPs to Westminster after the General Election.

Charles Kennedy said:

"More and more people are looking to the Liberal Democrats to provide a real alternative to Labour and the Conservatives.

"And that's exactly what we're determined to do in this campaign.

"The Liberal Democrats will fight this campaign based on positive solutions to the real problems people face everyday.

"We will address people's hopes, not play to their fears."

Charles was joined by Paul Holmes, MP for Chesterfield, and Parmjit Singh Gill, MP who won the Leicester South by-election last year. Jill Hope, the Liberal Democrat PPC for Harborough, who needs only a 6% swing to win, chaired the press conference.

Paul said:

"In my constituency Labour have lost every election since 2001. People are not prepared to keep giving them a second chance to improve their lives."

Parmjit said:

"Tony Blair's decision to put the war in Iraq ahead of investing in our schools and dear. Only voting Lib Dem sends a clear message that he was wrong."

Jill said:

"When Michael Howard was last in government, he left our public services in a terrible state. The Liberal Democrats are the real alternative."

ENDS.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

The text of Charles Kennedy's speech is reproduced below.

CHARLES KENNEDY SAID:

Here in the East Midlands the Liberal Democrats are expecting to be adding to the gains we made at the last general election.

More and more people are looking to the Liberal Democrats to provide a real alternative to Labour and the Conservatives.

And that's exactly what we're determined to do in this campaign.

Britain is in so many ways a fortunate country. By international standards we are an affluent society.

But we can and must do better.

We want a fairer Britain.

A Britain of real opportunity for young people and of dignity for our older people.

A Britain with quality local public services - good schools and clean hospitals.

So the Liberal Democrats will fight this campaign based on positive solutions to the real problems people face everyday.

We will address people's hopes, not play to their fears.

Here in Derbyshire and the East Midlands we will be campaigning hard.

In Chesterfield at the last election and in Leicester South at the recent by-election, the people chose Paul Holmes and Parmjit Singh Gill to represent them.

At this election in, with Jill Hope in Harborough, in Derby and Northampton and across the region, we will be setting out our positive message.

Just have we have done in Scotland, the Liberal Democrats would scrap student tuition fees the whole of the UK and provide free personal care for the elderly- help with things like washing or feeding - for people with long term illnesses.

We will provide quicker diagnosis for serious health problems and end the 'hidden waiting lists.'

We will end the scandal of discrimination against women in our pensions system, and give £100 more a month to all pensioners over 75.

The deeply unfair council tax will be scrapped.

A local income tax based on ability to pay would give a typical household an extra £450 a year and 6 million pensioners would pay no local tax at all.

We will cut class sizes in our schools.

We will provide 10,000 more police and keep them out on the streets longer by cutting back on paperwork.

And we are straightforward about what this would cost.

We say no hidden taxes.

First, we would ask the wealthiest 1% of taxpayers to pay that bit more. Second, we would redirect £5bn a year of existing government spending by scrapping wasteful Government programmes like compulsory ID cards and cutting back central government departments.

The sums add up.

The balance sheet is balanced.

People feel badly let down by Labour.

When you break your promises over tax increases and imposing student top up fees people don't forget.

Nor will people forgive the fact that Tony Blair lined up with George Bush and we were misled into the Iraq war.

The Liberal Democrats have been principled and consistent on all these matters during the last parliament.

The Conservatives just can't offer credibly the fresh alternative that the country is looking for.

They are a party of the past, not the future.

It's time for something different. Liberal Democrats are the real alternative.

Ends