Charles Kennedy sets out his vision of a Liberal Democrat Britain

2.10.50pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 22nd Sep 2005

Charles Kennedy today concluded the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in Blackpool with a speech outlining his vision for a Liberal Democrat Britain.

He said: "I want a Britain with first class public services, so that people can be treated well in a local hospital, and they don't have to shop around for a decent school - they are there on the doorstep.

"I want a Britain that has a vibrant growing economy - that rewards success, not penalises it.

"A Britain that lives up to its responsibilities on the international stage - that values international law - that is genuinely outward looking and emphatically internationalist.

"These are the things that have driven me over those years - and still drive me. Not for me, not for us, but for Britain. A Liberal Democrat Britain."

To read the speech in full: http://www.libdems.org.uk/conference/conferencedoc.html?&navPage=conference.html&id=7680