HAMPSHIRE MP Chris Huhne today announced he will fight for the Liberal Democrat leadership.

It is the second time the Eastleigh MP has put himself up for the top job in 18 months.

Launching his bid in Westminster this afternoon he said: "Too many people feel they do not have control of their own lives.

"It is disgusting that we live in a country where a child born into poverty has a life sentence.

"Too many people are imprisoned by bad luck and lack of opportunity - I want to free them."

He also summed up his campaign message in nine words.

Mr Huhne said he wants to create "a fairer and greener society with people in charge".

Mr Huhne, the party's environment spokesman, was beaten into second place by Sir Menzies Campbell in March 2006 - less than a year after he was elected to the Commons with a wafer-thin majority of 568.

But Sir Menzies' shock resignation on Monday, following a string of poor poll ratings, has cleared the way for Mr Huhne to mount a fresh campaign for the leadership.

Bookies have placed Mr Huhne, a 53-year-old father-of-five, as second favourite after home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg.

Other possible contenders include Steve Webb, who is in charge of drawing up the party's manifesto, and former leader Charles Kennedy, who was forced to quit after he admitted to having a drink problem.

Mr Huhne has already won the backing of Romsey MP Sandra Gidley, who said: "Chris is extremely bright and passionate about the party - he is very Liberal - and I think he has the complete package that the party needs to go forward."

Outgoing Winchester MP Mark Oaten said Mr Huhne, a former journalist and city economist, would make an "excellent" leader but said his vote would go to Mr Clegg, whom he described as a "safe pair of hands".

Sir Menzies' decision to stand down came as a surprise even to Liberal Democrat MPs.

In the past few weeks the party's standing in the opinion polls has slumped as low as 11 per cent - down from the 22 per cent share of the vote they received at the 2005 general election.

It was a combination of these polls, combined with Prime Minister Gordon Brown's decision to rule out an early General Election and what Sir Menzies described yesterday as the "cloying blanket of speculation" about his leadership, which prompted him to quit.

Mr Huhne yesterday paid tribute to Sir Menzies, known as Ming, for his "real courage", and for setting the agenda on climate change, for demanding the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and for standing up for civil liberties.

He said: "On a personal note, I am grateful for the support that Ming gave to me in pushing through the most radical and comprehensive plans to tackle carbon emissions put forward by any British political party.

"The Liberal Democrats can hold their head high having championed policies that will make Britain more free, fair and green."

The new leader will be announced in mid-December after a ballot of party members and MPs.