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LIB DEMS CALL FOR LABOUR VOTERS SUPPORT

Labour supporters are being urged to support the Liberal Democrats' campaign to boot out the Conservative leadership.

Liberal Democrat president Simon Hughes called o­n Labour supporters to "lend us your vote" as party leader Charles Kennedy was due to visit marginal seats held by shadow home secretary David Davis and shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin.

In both constituencies, the Liberal Democrat candidate finished in second place in 2001, with Labour a long way behind.

In Folkestone and Hythe, Conservative leader Michael Howard is defending a majority of 5,907 - again the Liberal Democrats finished in second place in 2001.

In an interview for the ePolitix.com website, Mr Hughes said: "We have target seats both from Labour and Conservatives and some of the Tory target seats are those with well-known Conservative figures.

"Folkestone and Hythe, where I was the other day, is the most notable and I was very encouraged by the campaign there."

Mr Hughes continued: "I am also going to Dorset West and Maidenhead and I believe we can win all of them as they have a Labour vote bigger than the gap between the Conservatives and us, so there is a real opportunity."