Sir Menzies Campbell Elected Leader of Liberal Democrats

5.00.00pm GMT Fri 3rd Mar 2006

Sir Menzies Campbell is universally known as "Ming".

Sir "Ming" Campbell said in his leadership acceptance speech that the challenge for Liberal Democrats now was to lead the party back towards government at the next general election. He celebrated the victory of the Liberal Democrats at the Dunfermline and West Fife election because they had once again confounded the critics and commentators who had written off the party.

The victory underlined "the remarkable legacy of Charles Kennedy. The party will be always in his debt. Under his leadership, Liberal Democrats have remade the battlefield of Britain"

He promised to modernise the party to make a reality of three party politics in Britain. He said he would ensure the Liberal Democrats are the party of innovation in Britain. He will encourage the brightest and the best to join our party. He will lead the party in a crusade against poverty.

He said the party would champion freedom, fairness and environment protection, would be a party of democratic revolution, would tackle the secrecy which still pervades far too much of Britain, would be a party which looks beyond our shores, seeking the prosperity, security and sustainable development which is dependent on international action, would be a party which pledges to take power from Westminster and Whitehall to give it to people in their own communities.

Ming said that, under his leadership, precaution and consolidation would not do. He said there were great prizes to be won for liberals and progressives. The task now, he said, is to build a strong effective Liberal Democrat party to fight for a greener, fairer, decent Britain at peace with itself at home and admired abroad.