Charles Kennedy biggest asset of the Party Leaders

8.00.00am GMT Wed 2nd Mar 2005

"I am not at all surprised that voters support Charles Kennedy." says local Lib Dem Jo Swinson.

Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy is by far the party leader most seen as an asset of the three main party leaders according to a new Guardian/ICM poll. The poll results shows Charles Kennedy has a rating of +34 whilst Michael Howard has +10 and Tony Blair +2.

Charles Kennedy even receives a +22 rating from Conservative voters and +29 rating from Labour voters, Blair and Howard are only given positive ratings by their own party's voters.

Kennedy also received a higher rating than Cabinet Ministers Jack Straw, John Prescott, John Reid, Charles Clarke, Patricia Hewitt, Tessa Jowell, Alan Milburn, Ruth Kelly, London's Mayor Ken Livingstone and The Conservatives Shadow Chancellor Oliver Letwin.

Commenting on the poll, local Liberal Democrats spokesman Jo Swinson said:

"I am not at all surprised that voters support Charles Kennedy. When I speak with local voters on the doorstep they tell me that the like Charles, and think he is a down to earth and decent man. What a contrast that is to their complete loss of trust in Tony Blair and fear in the prospect of Prime Minister Howard."