A lame duck Prime Minister

1.03.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 27th Sep 2006

Commenting on Tony Blair's speech to the Labour Party conference, Chairman of the Liberal Democrat Campaigns and Communication Committee, Ed Davey MP said: "This was a speech from a lame duck Prime Minister. In more than an hour of oratory, he failed to tackle the crucial question the country needs answered - exactly when is he going?"

Mr. Davey further said "The true legacy of Tony Blair's nine years in power is one of opportunities squandered. To highlight the introduction of a DNA database and the imposition of ID cards as examples of New Labour's "progressive politics" is extraordinary. The optimism that so many felt when he was first elected in 1997 has proven to be groundless."