Kennedy: I'll put social justice first

CHARLES KENNEDY, the front-runner to succeed Paddy Ashdown as leader of the Liberal Democrats, is planning to trump Labour's caring credentials by making concern for the underprivileged, disabled and vulnerable a key aim of his leadership.

Mr Kennedy wants to capitalise on growing unease within Parliament about Government moves to cut benefits for the disabled and asylum-seekers.

He intends to publish a manifesto-style booklet setting out plans to reposition the Liberal Democrats as the party of "social justice". Close Kennedy aides believe that Labour has jettisoned its image as the party which cares for the underprivileged through its policies of cutting benefits for single mothers, the disabled and other vulnerable groups, such as asylum-seekers with children.

He will also make the environment, which the Government has degraded as key policy issue, a central theme of his agenda.

Earlier this month, the Government suffered its biggest rebellion since coming to power when 65 Labour MPs voted against plans to cut benefits for the disabled. The Prime Minister has signalled that he will not back down on his aim to reform the pounds 100bn welfare budget.

"He wants to set out an agenda of what he wants to achieve and the kind of party the Liberal Democrats should be," said Matthew Taylor MP, who is leading Mr Kennedy's campaign team. "A key theme will be social justice. There is a growing feeling that the Government has not done enough to help the most vulnerable in society, such as the disabled, and there's the whole issue of asylum-seekers. His approach is to earn the support of the party."

Mr Kennedy is in favour of working with the Government on issues the two parties agree on but opposing policies, such as tuition fees for students, where they differ.

The popular Mr Kennedy, who has a media-friendly image, has been criticised by his backers for not doing enough to promote his ideas about the party's direction. They have been urging him to publish "think-tank style" policy papers to set out his ideas for a party under his leadership.

After the European Elections next month Mr Kennedy will publish a series of booklets setting out key policy proposals.

Mr Kennedy's chances of succeeding Paddy Ashdown were boosted last week when the party's defence spokesman, Menzies Campbell, announced that he would not be running for leader.

Mr Campbell, one of Mr Ashdown's closest political allies, was regarded as the candidate most in favour of the "project" of maintaining close ties with the Labour Government, possibly leading to coalition.

Mr Kennedy's chief rival for the leadership is now Don Foster, who is in favour of continuing Paddy Ashdown's policy of closer links with Labour.

Mr Foster, who has been running a professional PR drive behind the scenes for months, intends to make education a key theme of his campaign as well as consumer rights and the environment. "We intend to publish a manifesto in the first week of the campaign,'' said a close aide. "The anti-project campaigners are all fighting among themselves."

The leadership candidates opposing links with Labour are Simon Hughes, Jackie Ballard and David Rendel.