Clegg criticises Brown for failing to take action over Kenya violence

2.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 3rd Jan 2008

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has strongly condemned the Prime Minister's reaction to the growing Kenyan crisis, accusing Gordon Brown of a 'monumental failure of leadership'. He said Britain's strong historical links to Kenya and our position as its single most important trading partner gave us a moral responsibility to lead the international community in tackling the crisis. Gordon Brown today welcomed the decision of African Union leader John Kufuor, Ghana's president, to undertake a reconciliation mission to Kenya. At least 275 people have been killed over four days of rioting and looting, including about 50 who burnt to death when a church was set on fire.

Nick Clegg has called for Gordon Brown to end his indecision over the Kenyan crisis and to take the following steps:

· Issue an explicit demand to the Kenyan Government that a recount of the election must take place under international supervision within two weeks

· Refuse to recognise either candidate as President of Kenya unless and until a recount is held and a result declared that the Kenyan people can have confidence in

· Move to have Kenya suspended from the Commonwealth until a recount takes place and flatly reject the Commonwealth Secretary-General's grotesque comparison of the Kenyan crisis to a person running a red traffic light

· Impose targeted sanctions on members of Mr Kibaki's ruling party unless and until a recount is organised

· Review the provision of British and EU aid which goes directly to the Kenyan Government, rather than the Kenyan people