This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/6416621.stm

The article has changed 21 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 4 Version 5
Sir Menzies' five tests for Brown Sir Menzies hits out at opponents
(40 minutes later)
Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell will turn his fire on Chancellor Gordon Brown in a keynote speech to party activists in Harrogate. Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell has launched a twin pronged attack on the men he expects to face at the next general election.
Sir Menzies will ask whether the chancellor has the "courage" to take Britain in a new direction. In a speech at the party's spring conference, he asked if Chancellor Gordon Brown had the "courage" to take Britain in a new direction.
And he will set Mr Brown five "tests" on key policy areas - civil liberties, climate change, poverty, localism and foreign affairs. He set Mr Brown five policy "tests" - seen as possible terms for a coalition deal with Labour at the next election.
He will also attack Tory leader David Cameron for imitating Tony Blair. He branded Conservative leader David Cameron an inexperienced "Tory Boy".
Sir Menzies has pledged to take the Lib Dems in to a new phase after steadying the ship during his first year as leader. Sir Menzies, who has faced questions about his own age, and whether at 65 he is too old to lead his party, mocked recent revelations about Mr Cameron's youth.
On Saturday, Sir Menzies scored an important victory over rebels in his own party, including some MPs, over his proposal to delay a decision on replacing Trident nuclear weapons. "Come on Dave, it's time to come clean. Admit your guilty secret.
'Inequality' "In your youth you were a Tory Boy and your heroes were Michael Howard, Norman Lamont and John Selwyn Gummer.
His success, secured after an 11th-hour personal appeal, follows criticism of his style of leadership. "With pin-ups like that, frankly, I'd want to keep my past private too."
In his main speech to the party's spring conference, he will question whether Mr Brown, who is favourite to succeed Mr Blair later this year, will offer a new direction for Britain. The Lib Dems have used their spring conference to move on to traditional Conservative territory on crime and taxation.
He is expected to say: "Why should we believe that Britain will be better governed if he moves from No 11 Downing Street to No 10? Why should we believe that more of the same is what Britain needs?" Sir Menzies accused him of "ducking and weaving" and questioned Mr Cameron's judgement on his decision to support the Iraq war.
He will go on: "Britain needs a government that is prepared to reduce inequality and provide quality public services throughout the whole of Britain. "Teenage kicks are one thing, but you've got to grow up sometime," he told Cameron.
Turning to Mr Brown, he will question whether the Chancellor, who is favourite to succeed Tony Blair when he stands down later this year, will offer a new direction for Britain.
"Why should we believe that Britain will be better governed if he moves from No 11 Downing Street to No 10? Why should we believe that more of the same is what Britain needs?"
He went on: "Britain needs a government that is prepared to reduce inequality and provide quality public services throughout the whole of Britain.
"To uphold the rule of law and to preserve our traditional freedoms, to take on the challenge of climate change and to restore Britain's international reputation."To uphold the rule of law and to preserve our traditional freedoms, to take on the challenge of climate change and to restore Britain's international reputation.
"The question is - can Gordon Brown meet that challenge? Does he have the courage to take Britain in a new direction?"The question is - can Gordon Brown meet that challenge? Does he have the courage to take Britain in a new direction?
He will announce that he has devised five tests for the Chancellor.He will announce that he has devised five tests for the Chancellor.
"They are very clear-cut: first, end the Labour Government's authoritarian attack on civil liberties; second, grasp the challenge posed by climate change; third, break open the poverty trap; fourth, trust the people and free them from the yoke of Whitehall; and fifth, Britain's foreign policy should not be set in Washington." He will call on Mr Brown to "end Labour's authoritarian attack on civil liberties" by scrapping ID cards.
He will urge Mr Brown to "grasp the challenge posed by climate change," and, thirdly, "break open the poverty trap".
His fourth test is to "trust the people" by devolving power to local people and the fifth, is that "Britain's foreign policy should not be set in Washington".
'Gutsy''Gutsy'
The conference has been dogged by suggestions that Sir Menzies is too old to be a potential prime minister - and a poll for BBC Newsnight, which found that only 6% of people thought he could run the country. Sir Menzies has faced questions about his style of leadership - and a poll for BBC Newsnight - found that only 6% of people thought he could run the country.
But his leadership received a boost on Saturday when he saw off a challenge to his policy on delaying a decision on replacing Trident nuclear weapons after making a personal appeal to activists.
Party managers and MPs said it was a turning point for Sir Menzies, with some even suggesting it will be seen as his "Clause IV," moment, referring to Tony Blair's symbolic ditching of Labour's commitment to state ownership.
Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, Chris Huhne - who lost out to Sir Menzies in last year's leadership election - told BBC Breakfast he had every confidence in his leadership.Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, Chris Huhne - who lost out to Sir Menzies in last year's leadership election - told BBC Breakfast he had every confidence in his leadership.
"I think that Menzies showed very clearly yesterday (Saturday) that he's got exactly the stuff necessary to lead the party in a very clear direction."I think that Menzies showed very clearly yesterday (Saturday) that he's got exactly the stuff necessary to lead the party in a very clear direction.
He took the party literally by the scruff of its neck during the debate on the future of Britain's nuclear deterrent, put his own leadership on the line in a very gutsy way and gave the sort of strong leadership which I think is absolutely essential, which you can't imagine frankly either David Cameron or Gordon Brown doing in their respective parties."He took the party literally by the scruff of its neck during the debate on the future of Britain's nuclear deterrent, put his own leadership on the line in a very gutsy way and gave the sort of strong leadership which I think is absolutely essential, which you can't imagine frankly either David Cameron or Gordon Brown doing in their respective parties."