KEETCH "DELIGHTED" AS TORIES TURN TO HOWARD

9.00.00am GMT Fri 31st Oct 2003

One of the Lib Dem MPs the Tories want to target at the next election says he is delighted that it looks like Michael Howard will become the new Conservative Leader.

Lib Dem MP Paul Keetch held Hereford at the last General Election with a majority of just under a 1,000 votes over the Tories, and the seat is high on the Conservative list of seats they have to take if they are to come even close to winning the next election.

But the Liberal Democrats are just a few thousand votes behind Mr Howard in his Folkestone & Hythe constituency, and Paul Keetch says the new Tory leader will do little improve Tory chances of retaking Hereford.

"The problem for the Tories is not just the Leader, its the entire party. Michael Howard is the man that brought in the Poll Tax and was a key figure in the Tory Government who were kicked out so dramatically in 1997. He will remind voters exactly why 18 years of Tory Government was so devastating for Britain.

"The decline of the Conservative Party is due to out of touch policies, cutting public services, economic incompetence and splits which imposing Michael Howard on party members will do nothing to change.

"The raft of uncosted, unfair and socially divisive policies that the Tories launched at their Conference would condemn any leader who tried to sell them to the people of Britain.

"On tuition and top up fees, the Conservatives' policy would take away the chance to go to University from 100,000 students. Hundreds of students from Herefordshire would be affected.

"On healthcare, Tory policies would create a two-tier NHS where the better off will get NHS money to go private while the poorest will have no choice but to wait in line for a reduced service. How would that improve health provision in Herefordshire?

"It is clear that whoever leads the Conservatives, only the Liberal Democrats can lead the challenge to a failing Labour Government.

"Michael Howard's best known policy, the Poll Tax, was unfair, out of touch and massively unpopular - just like the Conservative Party is today.

"It is no wonder that the national papers are still predicting advances for the Liberal democrats at the next election. As for defending my own seat from the Tories, Michael Howard ought to be careful we don't take his own seat of him."