The Liberal Democrats are stepping up their efforts to unseat Conservative rivals in next year's local elections.

The party's local government team meets with grassroots activists this weekend for a summit to map out how they will contest next May's crucial poll.

If the party fails to make significant progress in both Labour and Conservative wards, questions will be asked over whether Charles Kennedy can achieve his aim of taking the second place in British politics.

The key issues on the doorstep that the party believes can gain it support will be education, health and crime.

Edward Davey, the Liberal Democrat's local government spokesman, will tell councillors to prepare to make strong advances against political rivals.

Davey signalled the party would be capitalising on the Conservatives' recent internal rows.

"The Tories are in deep trouble. Not only have they shown themselves to be unfit for opposition nationally, but voters are finding them irrelevant locally," he argued.

"We expect to gain more council seats from Labour, as we have done on each local election night since they came to office. But the real losers next May could be the Conservatives - who may end up with net losses for the first time in seven years."