Kennedy's 'honesty' pays off

		By Nyta Mann BBC News Online political correspondent

As the election campaign nears its climax, Charles Kennedy is the party leader the voters are most impressed with, William Hague the least, and Tony Blair the one who would make the best prime minister, according to a new BBC News Online/ICM poll.

The Liberal Democrats' strategy of seeking to make a feature of their "honest" approach appears to have paid off, with 45% of those questioned judging Mr Kennedy the most impressive of the party leaders.

Mr Blair was chosen as most impressive by 23%, while only 18% picked Conservative leader William Hague.

Tax claims

Throughout the campaign Labour and the Tories have traded claim and counter-claim over tax, with each side denouncing the other for failing to rule out increases to various specific taxes.

Labour has also promised not to raise income tax rates for the duration of the next parliament. The Tories have pledged an £8bn tax cut, to be "refunded" to voters.

In contrast, a tax increase hypothecated for public services is a cornerstone of the Lib Dem manifesto. Mr Kennedy acknowledged early on in the campaign that he had no expectation of becoming prime minister on 8 June.

More bad news for Hague

When it comes to choosing which of the party leaders has least impressed them, the poll suggests more bad news for Mr Hague: 54% opted for the Tory leader. Mr Blair was picked by 28% of voters; Mr Kennedy by just 12%.

To compound the Conservative leader's poll misery, his rating in the "best prime minister" stakes also appears to have dropped: just 20% of voters said they believed he would make the resident of Number 10 - down two points from a week ago.

Q. Which party leader do you think would make the best Prime Minister?

The latest survey appears to put Mr Hague on equal footing with Mr Kennedy (20%). This marks a rise for the Lib Dem leader of three points over the past week, and follows Mr Kennedy's insistence that his party will form the "serious opposition" to a Labour government after polling day.

The survey's findings suggest a significant boost to Mr Kennedy's standing over the past fortnight. Two weeks ago, though already ahead of Mr Blair and Mr Hague in the "impressiveness" rating, 31% had chosen the Lib Dem leader.

According to this latest survey, however, while impressiveness ratings for the leaders of the two main parties remain steady, Mr Kennedy's has leapt by 14 points.

ICM interviewed 1,112 adults in England, Scotland and Wales between 29 May and 3 June, 283 by telephone and the rest by email.

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BBC News Online poll questions

Q1. Which party do you trust to run the NHS most effectively?

Q2. Which party do you trust to run state schools most effectively?

Q3. Which party do you trust to best manage the economy?

Q4. Which party do you think has the best policies to tackle crime?

Q5. Which party do you think will best protect the UK's interests in the European Union?

Q6. Which party do you think has the best Public Transport policies?

Q7. How likely is it that you will vote in an immediate general election?

Q8. Which party leader do you think would make the best Prime Minister?

Q9. Regardless of whom you intend to vote for, which party leader has impressed you the MOST in the campaign so far?

Q10. Regardless of whom you intend to vote for, which party leader has impressed you the LEAST in the campaign so far?

Q11. Do you think this General Election has been more ‘stage-managed’ than other recent UK General Elections, less, or is it really no different?

Q12. Generally speaking, do you feel the election campaign has made you more likely to vote, less likely, or has it really made no difference?

Q13. Which of the following words, if any, would you use to describe the run up to the General Election so far?

Q14. During the election campaign, have you changed your mind about which party you will vote for?

Q15. Do you think that the issues that are most important to you have been properly addressed during the election campaign?

Q16. Which issues do you feel have not been properly addressed?

Q17. If proportional representation was introduced, that is, that the country adopts a new voting system that would give parties seats in Parliament in proportion to their share of the vote, do you think you would be more likely to vote, less likely, or would it make no difference?

Q18. When deciding which party to vote for, which ONE of the following issues has the greatest influence on your decision?

Q19. Which of these statements comes closest to your view about Britain and the European Single Currency, the Euro?

Q20. Regardless of your views on the Euro, do you think Britain will adopt the Single European, Currency (the Euro), in the next 5 years, 10 years, 25 years, or, never?