Wednesday news in brief

Charles Kennedy getting his sums right

Party leader Charles Kennedy acknowledged the importance of speech therapy in his formative years during a visit to a Bournemouth junior school.

Mr Kennedy told pupils at Bethany Junior School about long hours with "Sammy Snake" designed to correct a problem with saying the letter S.

Admitting he did not have a head for figures as a child, Mr Kennedy helped two pupils with their maths - successfully multiplying 90 x 10.

Facing down criticism that Lib Dem tax plans do not add up, Mr Kennedy said: "I did a sum and I got it right - which is better than you can say for the Conservative Party at the moment."

---

Waiting for global warming to come in

Environment spokesman Don Foster's plans to highlight the dangers of global warming had to be swiftly changed thanks to the vagaries of the seaside weather.

The Bath MP had planned to sit in a deckchair in the sea to illustrate how the UK's beaches would be swallowed by the sea if global warming continues.

But ominous dark clouds and a heavy swell sent Mr Foster retreating to the prom.

Mr Foster explained was just as good a place to pose, as it was at about the level that the sea might reach after 20 more years of global warming.

---

No need to fill up at the petrol station

Welsh Assembly member Peter Black gave a practical demonstration of the Liberal Democrats' commitment to environmentally-friendly transport by test-driving an electric car.

Mr Black, the party's transport spokesman in Wales, took the Ford 'Think City' car for a spin through Bournemouth.

The car runs on 19 nickel cadmium batteries, which recharged over eight hours - at night this represents a cost of about 50p. Fully charged, it has a range of 55 miles and can reach speeds of 50mph.

The Think City is only on sale in Norway at the moment.

---

Conference overwhelmingly backed a motion condemning government plans to scrap community health councils.

The proposal was announced in the NHS reform plan, but delegates said there had been no prior consultation.

The motion described the planned replacement bodies as "fragmented and ill-conceived", calling on ministers to think again.

Delegate Freda Anderson of Birkenhead said CHCs had built up "vast resources of information and expertise" and were the only "truly independent body" to examine the workings of the NHS.

Chingford and Woodford Green's Hugh Cleaver, said they were about the only body to bring a "degree of accountability" to the NHS.

---