Lib-Dems bottle out on Euro-elections

Charles Kennedy, launching the Lib-Dem Euro-election campaigning this morning, invited voters to use the election to pass judgement on the war in Iraqi. “There could be no more appropriate a forum in which to tell Blair that he had lost contact with the mood of the nation”, Kennedy said on BBC radio 4 news.

From a Euro-enthusiast party, which continually bleats about wanting a full debate on “Europe” this would be a remarkable development, except that, as some will recall, during the 1999 Euro-election, the campaign leaflets made not reference whatsoever to EU issues. Instead, they fed voters a diet of “schools ‘n’ hospitals” domestic issues.

Nevertheless, Kennedy claims he wants to be “pro-active” about Europe, choosing to focus his Party’s manifesto on the “environment”, claiming that “pollution knows no boundaries”. "Making Europe work for you”, is the main theme although, clearly, the Lib-Dems are hoping that the anti-war vote will be the deciding factor.