KENNEDY'S GAMBLE

Lib Dem Leader Risks Backlash On Cannabis And Army Gays

Charles Kennedy used his first major speech as Liberal Democratic
leader to demand a national debate on legalising cannabis and an end
to the ban on gays in the armed forces.

Gambling against the risk of a backlash, he broke with convention by
focusing on two of the most controversial issues in politics.

Delegates at the Lib Dems conference in Harrogate welcomed his call
for gays in the military and an overhaul of drugs laws. But his
strategy could well backfire by alienating former Tory voters who
supported the party at the last election.

His demand for a Royal Commission on drugs less than 48 hours after
the death of Labour minister Ian McCartney's son Hugh leaves him
particularly vulnerable to attacks from both Labour and the Tories.

While Mr Kennedy stopped short of calling for so-called soft drugs to
be legalised, aides later made clear the issue would be central to the
debate on drugs he was demanding.

'On drugs, there's an ominous silence in Westminster. Not the silence
of the lambs but the silence of the sheep and the herd instinct that
goes with it,' Mr Kennedy told delegates.

He was equally unapologetic on ditching the ban on gays in the armed
forces - an issue which has split Labour ministers.

'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,' he told the conference. Mr Kennedy made a pledge
to forge ever closer links with Labour to keep the Conservatives out
of power - despite repeated warnings from the party's grassroots this
week about the dangers of cosying up to the Government.

However, their leader insisted the links were a key element of 'adult
politics' and added defiantly: 'I won't rule out further co-operation
with Ministers.' Raising the prospect of a possible coalition with
Labour, he confidently proclaimed that his party was within touching
distance of banishing the Conservatives into permanent opposition and
clinching a place in government.

In a clear echo of the Prime Minister's declaration that he wanted the
next 100 years to be a century of social democracy, Mr Kennedy said:
'The 20th Century was too much a Conservative century. The 21st can be
the century of liberal democracy.'

He underlined his conciliatory stance on Labour with an attack on Tory
leader William Hague, branding his approach on Ulster as 'an
irresponsible disgrace'.

Pointedly, his speech avoided any direct criticism of Tony
Blair.

'Let me make one thing absolutely clear on behalf of this p arty.
Loose talk at Westminster can literally cost lives in Northern
Ireland,' declared Mr Kennedy

'We are not going to play Westminster party politics with the Northern
Ireland peace process. William Hague, grow up.'

Mr Kennedy, watched from the auditorium by his girlfriend, public
relations adviser Sarah Gurling, 29, went on to criticise Labour for
failing to take the lead in the single currency debate.

He also reiterated his fears that Chancellor Gordon Brown will use his
burgeoning public coffers to fund tax cuts rather than help schools
and hospitals.

Labour had also failed to help the most disadvantaged, he
added.

Mr Kennedy said: 'If you're old or cold or hungry the Government is
less New Labour, more new conservative.'

He reserved his most withering attack on Labour for Robin Cook's
foreign policy. Referring to the sale of British Hawk trainer Jets to
Indonesia and the Government's record in Sierra Leone, he declared:
'That's not an ethical foreign policy. That's a moral stench
masquerading as a foreign policy.'

He also ridiculed Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's efforts to
turn-around Britain's transport system.

'Poor John. He's got as much chance of transport integration as he's
got of verbal integration,' he said.

Mr Kennedy underlined the party's calls for the Government to lead the
battle to persuade the country to back British entry into the single
currency.

'Europe is good for Britain. It's good for British business. That's
good for British jobs and all that's good for the British people. It's
patriotic to be pro-European,' he argued.

He dismissed opponents of the euro - including Baroness Thatcher, Lord
Tebbit, Tony Benn and Ian Paisley - as a 'perverse rainbow coalition
of yesterday's men and women'.

He opened his speech with a tongue-in-cheek reference to his penchant
for appearing on television shows.

After walking on to the stage, he said: 'Have I got news for you. I
was nervous about this week - I thought you might call my bluff. I
thought the paparazzi would be looking through the keyhole.'