CHARLES KENNEDY will seek to show that his political skills remain undimmed as he addresses the Liberal Democrat conference today for the first time since he was toppled as leader.

He will make a positive speech on the opportunities ahead for the party and speak on four policy themes of social justice, political reform, international affairs and the environment. As important as its content, if not more so, will be his performance. Allies said that he wants to use the occasion to demonstrate that he is in good health and on top form, after admitting in January that he had battled to overcome a serious drink problem.

Mr Kennedy also has a chance to show his skill in moving an audience. His reception from conference delegates will inevitably be compared with that offered to his successor, Sir Menzies Campbell, in his leader’s speech on Thursday.

Sir Menzies will sit in the front row on the conference floor, rather than behind him on the stage, after Mr Kennedy asked for a largely bare stage and no platform party to greet him other than the conference chairman and aide.

Friends of Mr Kennedy said that he planned to leave the platform after speaking, rather than come forward from the stage, when he might otherwise be expected to shake Sir Menzies’s hand. There were no plans for the two men to meet during Mr Kennedy’s brief visit to the conference, which he shortened owing to the death last week of his father-in-law. He plans to return to London shortly after speaking.

In another illustration of the bitterness felt by the former leader at Sir Menzies’s role in his enforced resignation, The Times has learnt that Mr Kennedy initially swapped Commons offices with his successor, who moved into the leader’s suite. But Mr Kennedy could not bear to work in Sir Menzies’ former office, a modern room in the Portcullis House building at Westminster, and after a few weeks moved into an identical office on the other side of the same corridor.

Nevertheless, he will be scrupulous today in ensuring that the text of his speech is not interpreted as an attack on the leader who replaced him. “He is not going to say anything or do anything which could be thought to undermine or upstage Ming or anybody in the party,” one of Mr Kennedy’s friends said.

“He is going to look at Liberal Democrat prospects, particularly how events in other parties affect us. He will stick to broad themes of social justice, political reform, international affairs, and the environment.”

In an indication of the rousing reception he is likely to get from the conference floor, delegates broke into a ripple of applause at the mention of his name by Sir Menzies, who went to great lengths to pay tribute to his predecessor. During a question-and-answer session, Sir Menzies was asked about Mr Kennedy’s drink problem and spoke of wrestling with “conflicts of affection and conflicts of loyalty to him and loyalty to the party”.

Sir Menzies said: “A point came when it was in the best interests of Charles himself and the party that he should step down. I’ve known Charles since he was 20. He is someone for whom I have an enormous amount of affection and admiration. He brought the party to its best result for over 80 years in the last general election. Whenever Charles is ready, I shall be delighted to welcome him to the front bench.”

TODAY’S AGENDA

9.55am Speech by Chris Huhne, environment spokesman

10.45am Debate on Lib Dem tax policy

3.40pm Speech by Charles Kennedy

4.30pm Debate on local government reorganisation paper

8pm Fringe event to launch Britain After Blair, collection of policy essays by Lib Dems

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