Sir Menzies warns off his critics

Sir Menzies said the party was making progress

Sir Menzies Campbell has warned off his critics and promised to lead the Liberal Democrats into the next general election "and beyond".

He told the BBC he had "restored stability" to the Lib Dems, adding: "I'm not setting any time limits for myself. Nor should anyone else."

An unnamed Lib Dem MP was last week said to have criticised his leadership.

Sir Menzies said his door "is open" and he would "happily deal with" any Lib Dem MP who wanted him replaced.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme - a year after replacing first temporarily and then permanently - Charles Kennedy as party leader, Sir Menzies said the party was making progress.

Disappointed candidates

Asked about the recent defection of unsuccessful Lib Dem election candidates Richard Porter, John Barstow and Tariq Mahmood to the Conservatives, he told the programme: "People defect all the time."

He said 40 Labour members in Margaret Beckett's constituency had defected to the Liberal Democrats and Tory councillors had switched to the Lib Dems in Dover and Crawley.

"Defections take place. I wish people didn't defect. But the fact of the matter is I'm not going to allow the defection of three disappointed candidates to stand in the way in the progress that the party's making."

I will lead the party through this parliament, through the next general election and beyond, and no-one should be in any doubt about that Sir Menzies Campbell

Since 65-year-old Sir Menzies was elected party leader in March - after being acting leader following Mr Kennedy's resignation - his age, image and lack of public profile have been the subject of some criticism.

As he left the Lib Dems for the Conservatives, Richard Porter criticised Sir Menzies as a "has-been" who had put the party "in reverse gear".

But Sir Menzies said: "I was elected by the party some nine months ago, in that period I have restored stability, which the party required, and we are making progress."

He said the experience of local government showed the Lib Dems were more effective at tackling crime than the "gimmick-driven" approach of the government.

And he said he would stick by plans for a violent offenders' register - similar to the Sex Offenders' Register - saying violent crime could be just as corrosive and traumatic as sexual crime.

"I will lead the party through this parliament, through the next general election and beyond, and no-one should be in any doubt about that," he said.