Charles Kennedy's speech in Hyde Park

12.00.00am GMT Sat 15th Feb 2003

This is Charles Kennedy's speech as he delivered it to the million marchers in Hyde Park, taken from a transcript of the event.

"I'm delighted, delighted and privileged, to join with you here this afternoon on what, without doubt, is this historic occasion. And, given the events at the United Nations in New York yesterday - where they spoke - today, across the world, the people are speaking and the Prime Minister and the President have got to start listening. That is our message to them.

"For months now, I've been asking questions in the House of Commons of the Prime Minister and I've not been getting the answers. What's come back has been confusing, alarming and you're all here because, like me, you think it lacks persuasion. So it's no wonder that so much of British and European opinion is not convinced. But neither is a lot of American opinion convinced either and that is all too often overlooked in the reporting that we see.

"Now, my party has consistently argued, from the outset, for four principles.

"First - the mandate of the United Nations must be the one that takes the decision and gives the legitimacy.

"And secondly, that those decisions have got to be based on adequate information. That means full compliance with the weapons inspectors. Given the evidence that we had yesterday in New York, from Dr Blix, there can be, as we stand, no just or moral case for war against Iraq. That was the message from New York.

"Third - if we reach the stage, at some point in the future, where British troops are going to be asked to enter some form of military conflict then that's got to be achieved in a democratic way which means that the House of Commons should be given the right which, so far it has been denied, the right of a vote on whether we believe our forces should be sent into battle in that way.

"Next week, the House of Commons is in parliamentary recess - it's on holiday. At the same time, the unelected House of Lords is sitting. We will have the bizarre situation, will we not, where the unelected chamber of parliament will be able to question the government on these vital current events while the elected chamber of parliament will not even be in session. And I say to Tony Blair today, as a result of what has just taken place in New York, he should at least recall the House of Commons next week, make a full statement and allow the elected members of parliament, of all parties, to have their say on behalf of the thousands of their constituents.

"So I've joined you here today - and I've been asking these questions for months in parliament - because I'm not persuaded by the case for war. The arguments have been contradictory and inconsistent and the information has all too often been misleading as well as inconclusive. It's no wonder that people are scared and confused.

"I say this to you, quite seriously, as somebody who, personally, happens not to be a pacifist but has the utter respect for anyone for grounds of conscience who is. As somebody who's not actually anti-American but is deeply worried by this Bush administration. And as someone who is under no illusions about the brutal dictatorship and the appalling regime which is Saddam Hussein.

"But I conclude by returning to the United Nations. If the great powers of the world ignore it then great damage will be done to the world order and the best hope of international justice for everybody in the world. And, without a second United Nations resolution based on authoritative fact from the weapons inspectorate, I can assure you there is no way, in all conscience, that the Liberal Democrats either could or should support a war. And we will not.

"International justice also requires a serious restarting of the Middle East peace process. I wish the United Nations was able to devote its time and energies to that constructive process rather than the destructive process that we're seeing underway at the moment. The absence of a Middle East process can only fuel extremism and international terrorism.

"This is the riskiest moment for Britain since Suez. Our country has a principled and a responsible role to play on the world stage but to do so we have to pursue international justice through the United Nations. And our government has got to take it's people with them. It's patently failing and that's my message to you today.

"Thank you for coming. And thank you for listening."