Charles Kennedy will today use his speech to the Liberal Democrat conference to mount a scathing attack on his political opponents.

He will claim that the government's popularity with the public is gone as a result of the Hutton inquiry.

"No more glad confident dawn for this shop-soiled Labour government. That reality is now self-evident. They seek to manage not lead, to manipulate not tell it as it is," he is expected to say.

The Liberal Democrat leader admitted yesterday that about a third of all households would have to pay more under his plans to replace the council tax.

Speaking to the Today programme, Kennedy said: "We voted to scrap the council tax because of its regressive nature and that will be a big saving for a lot of people. If you are one of the poorer-income pensioners, you will particularly be the big gainer because, at the moment, you are being clobbered."

A senior member of the Lib Dems yesterday claimed that 47 of the party's 53 MPs wanted to see Kennedy quit.

Simon Titley hit out at the "significant failings" of the party leader.

Meanwhile the father of a British detainee held by the United States in Cuba addressed the conference yesterday.

Asmat Begg wept as he criticised the American judicial system and claimed that his son had only been in Afghanistan to open a school.

The party was yesterday hit by claims that it supported teaching sex at seven after it voted for compulsory sex education.

The Lib Dems also voted to ban children from buying pets and supported a motion which would make smacking a form of domestic violence.

And the party risks being bounced into a £900 million NHS spending pledge after delegates voted to abolish prescription and dental charges.