Kennedy's sights on Howard seat

Mr Kennedy spoke alongside agony aunt Claire Rayner

Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy has taken the election fight to the Tory leader's Folkestone seat.

The party is targeting Michael Howard's 5,907 majority in the Kent seat, where the Lib Dem leader went on a walkabout.

Mr Kennedy also said that Labour was "scared stiff" of his party and that support was growing across the board.

The Conservatives say Lib Dem taxes would hit hard-working people, while Labour says Mr Kennedy does not have an economic basis for his policies.

The party also has shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin's Dorset West seat (majority 1,414) and shadow home secretary David Davis' Haltemprice and Howden seat (majority 1,903) on its target list.

Tony Blair does not think voting Liberal Democrat is a wasted vote Charles Kennedy

Speaking in Hythe, also part of Mr Howard's constituency, Mr Kennedy said: "I came to this constituency during the last general election because it was a prime target seat for the Liberal Democrats and I am here irrespective of who leads another political party."

Earlier he was bullish about his country's national prospects.

"It's now clear that a large part of the story of this general election has been the growing support for the Liberal Democrats.

"People out there have made their minds up that the Conservatives are not going to win this general election. They can't break out of their core vote.

Mr Kennedy also dismissed Labour claims that a vote for the Lib Dems risked a Tory government being returned on 6 May.

'On the up'

It was a desperate message from a prime minister facing the prospect of significant Lib Dem advances, he added.

"Tony Blair does not think voting Liberal Democrat is a wasted vote.

"He is scared stiff that is just what millions more people are about to do in 48 hours' time. If you vote Liberal Democrat you get Liberal Democrat.

"We are a party that is on the up."

The Lib Dem leader was joined at his morning press conference by agony aunt and president of the Patients Association Claire Rayner, who attacked the targets culture Labour had created in hospitals.

It turns good clinical care upside down Claire Rayner on hospital targets

Mr Kennedy attacked Labour for imposing top-up fees on university students, handing out "poverty pensions", and "tying up" hospitals with targets.

"Just let the doctors and nurses get on with the job."

"It makes [hospital] management undoubtedly devious - they massage figures until they're blue. It turns good clinical care upside down."

'Sea of ignorance'

She also attacked Michael Howard's policy on health.

"That man swims in a sea of such ignorance when it comes to hospitals and hospital care."

Labour has claimed that if one in 10 of their supporters vote for the Lib Dems the Conservatives could get into power by the "back door".

The Lib Dems have rubbished that suggestion, which assumes all the stay-at-home Labour voters are concentrated in the 158 key marginal seats, with the Labour vote unchanged in all other seats.

On Monday, Tony Blair told Labour activists: "The Liberal Democrats may be closer to us in values but they are incapable of facing up to the means required to meet the ends."

Conservative leader Michael Howard told his supporters that Lib Dems plans to replace council tax with a local income tax would "target the working women of Britain".

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