Kennedy calls for disease cabinet

Charles Kennedy said Labour was not spending enough

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy has called for Tony Blair to create a "war cabinet" to deal with the foot-and-mouth crisis.

He told the Welsh Liberal Democrat Annual Conference in Cardiff that a group within the cabinet should monitor the situation hour by hour.

Conservative leader William Hague has also called for a "crisis cabinet" to meet daily until the outbreak is under control.

Mr Kennedy was speaking on a visit to south Wales which included a speech to the Secondary Heads Association conference in Newport.

There, he called on the Government to reduce class sizes.

Attack on record

At the Liberal Democrats Wales conference at City Hall in Cardiff, Kennedy has used the annual Welsh party conference to attack Labour's record in office.

Kennedy told delegates at the Liberal Democrats Wales conference in Cardiff the Government was out of step with UK policy.

He said Labour had spent a smaller proportion of national wealth on public services than the Conservatives.

The Government had, he said, failed to deliver and only in Wales and Scotland, where the Liberal Democrats have entered coalition government, have there been results.

The party has used much of this week's conference to distinguish the LibDems from Labour. Welsh party leader Richard Livsey said his party was the only true reforming party.

Mr Kennedy said the Government had spent less on schools and hospitals than the previous Conservative government.