Pubdate: Fri, 24 September 1999
Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)
Copyright: of Telegraph Group Limited 1999
Contact:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Author: George Jones, Political Editor

KENNEDY'S RADICAL RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Charles Kennedy sought to carve out a distinctive stance as Liberal Democrat
leader yesterday by calling for a public debate on drugs and the lifting of
the ban on homosexuals serving in the Armed Forces.

In his first major speech as leader, he cast aside traditional political
caution to show that he was not afraid to associate himself with radical
causes. He is the first leader of one of the main political parties to back
the call for a Royal Commission to look at the question of decriminalising
drugs, such as cannabis.

In his closing address to the party conference in Harrogate, he set his
sights on taking the Liberal Democrats into government. He signalled his
willingness to continue co-operating with Tony Blair to keep the Tories out
of power. Paraphrasing Mr Blair's remarks at last week's TUC conference, he
said the 20th century had been too much a Conservative one.

He said: "The 21st can be the century of liberal democracy." It was
confirmation that he intended to continue the strategy adopted by Mr Blair
and Paddy Ashdown of unifying the Centre-Left to prevent the Conservatives
returning to government.

Some of the strongest applause came when Mr Kennedy launched an attack on
William Hague, saying the Tories had become an "irresponsible disgrace"
because of their criticism of the Government's handling of Northern Ireland.

Mr Kennedy said: "Loose talk at Westminster can literally cost lives in
Northern Ireland. We are not going to play Westminster party politics with
the Northern Ireland peace process. William Hague, grow up."

Although he did not rule out further co-operation with ministers, he had
strong criticisms of the Government. He described Robin Cook's so-called
"ethical foreign policy" as a "moral stench masquerading as a foreign
policy" because the Government had continued selling military jets to
Indonesia until the conflict in East Timor.

He also attacked Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, for putting tax cuts before
spending on essential public services, and mocked the transport policies of
John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister. His underlying message was that he
would continue the Ashdown strategy of transforming the Liberal Democrats
from a "party of protest into a party of power".

Although there has been strong pressure at the conference for the Liberal
Democrats to put more distance between themselves and Labour, Mr Kennedy
said he wanted to maintain co-operation with the Government on
constitutional reform in a joint Cabinet committee.

But he made it clear the Liberal Democrats would maintain their
independence. He said: "The Liberal Democrats are nobody's poodles. But we
are not rottweilers. We don't attack for the sake of it. We don't savage on
command. That is the old politics."

Mr Kennedy singled out social policy and inequality as one of the defining
issues of his leadership. He was critical of the Government's failure to
tackle many social problems and its "illiberal" asylum and immigration laws.
He said: "If you're old, or cold, or hungry, the Government is less New
Labour, more New Conservatives."

He challenged the Government to use the Treasury's surplus on targeted
increases in spending on health, education, pensioners and other public
services rather than on pre-election tax cuts. He said: "Money isn't always
the solution but so often problems can't be tackled without it. Liberal
Democrats will be honest with the public about that. We will not engage in a
ridiculous competition about who can tax less."

He criticised the unwillingness of the Government or most politicians to
talk about drugs. "There's not a family, a home, not touched by this issue.
It's talked about everywhere. Except, with a few honourable exceptions, in
Parliament." There needed to be a serious debate about action to prevent
drug-taking in the first place.

Mr Kennedy backed the campaign to end the ban on active homosexuals and
lesbians serving in the Armed Forces. He described it as unethical and
arguably illegal discrimination. "It's absurd isn't it, that we no longer
prosecute spies. But patriotic men and women, because of their sexuality,
can't serve their country in uniform."

On Europe, he sought to demonise the Tories as a party without a future but
also accused Labour of "timidity" despite its big majority. Promising to
play a prominent role in the campaign to promote British membership of the
single currency, he urged Mr Blair not to be afraid of giving a lead. He
said: "Lead now and there can be a decisive majority for entry to the euro.
Put it off and the result is far from clear."

Mr Kennedy, who has faced party criticism over his laid back style, sought
to reassure the conference that he was eager to take advantage of what he
described as a "chance of a lifetime" to lead a British political party.

When he became an MP in 1983 at the age of 23, he was the youngest member.
He said: "Sixteen years ago it seemed a long way from the Highland croft to
the House of Commons It was then a long leap to the leadership. Sixteen
years on, the gap between leadership and government doesn't seem so great
any more. I'm ready for it."

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