NOT to be outdone by Tony Blair and Tory Party chairman Brian Mawhinney, Paddy Ashdown yesterday released an expert's report on his own handwriting.

Not surprisingly, it is a flattering picture of the Liberal Democrat leader, who is described as of ''keen intelligence, more attuned to a broad view of the world around him and of human affairs than to formal, abstract concepts or narrow specialisation''.

This sounded similar to one analysis of Mr Blair who, according to the Daily Telegraph's graphologist is ''better on the big picture than the detail''.

Yesterday Mr Blair released a 10-point contract with the British people written in his own handwriting - including crossings-out.

In response, Dr Mawhinney immediately released his rebuttal of the Labour leader's personal manifesto in his own handwriting.

Mr Ashdown insisted that the analysis of his own writing was entirely unsolicited, having been sent to him a few days ago by graphologist Allan Conway.

Mr Conway asked Mr Ashdown for a sample of his handwriting when they met two weeks ago. The graphologist writes of Mr Ashdown: ''A combination of high aspirations, realism and persistence ensures a determination to achieve goals.

''This is not always easy for him as he has many aims, hence underlying tensions can ensue.

''Being purposeful, resilient and possessed of a sense of humour, he does not allow fear of future obstacles to be an inhibiting source of worry.''

Mr Conway goes on: ''A clarity of judgment, shrewdness and initiative, enable him to respond spontaneously to the needs of the moment and day-to-day crises.''