Mr Ancram said Mr Kennedy was taking over at a time when the party was confused about its future direction.

Michael Ancram says the Lib Dems are in disarray

"Its policies are so out of kilter with the mainstream of public opinion that the Lib Dems are getting slaughtered at the polls," he said.

"The key test will be whether he is able to make his party a party of opposition again, rather than a poodle of the Labour government.

"He should make an honest decision now to either throw in his lot with Labour, or re-establish the party as an independent entity, so that people will have an idea of who they are voting for."

'Blair's poodle'

Tories in Scotland, where the Lib Dems have formed a coalition administration with Labour in the Scottish Parliament, also attacked Mr Kennedy.

Scottish Tory chairman Raymond Robertson said: "As an avid supporter of the Lab-Lib coalition in Scotland, Mr Kennedy's election is likely to lay to rest once and for all even the pretence that his party has a mind of its own or the will to operate as an independent entity north of the border.

"Those who thought Paddy Ashdown was Blair's poodle simply ain't seen nothing yet.

"Those who thought their sell-out to Labour was complete are in for a rude awakening."

'Paddy's disappointed'

However, defeated Lib Dem leadership candidate Jackie Ballard, interpreted the result as a sign that the party would keep its distance from the government.

Paddy Ashdown worked to build bridges with Labour

She also regarded it as a rebuff to the efforts by outgoing leader Paddy Ashdown to build co-operation with Labour.

"Clearly, the mandate Charles Kennedy has is to make a high priority of social issues and the environment and not to have any closer links with the government," she said.

"I think Paddy is probably a disappointed man - the party does not want to move the project any closer."

In his acceptance speech, Mr Kennedy said he wanted to continue existing ties with Labour.

He also said he would, with his party's approval, look to extend co-operation on areas such as Europe.

However, he also pledged that the Lib Dems would remain: "a strong, independent and progressive alternative to the Labour Party."