If Charles Kennedy is listening to 5 Live's phone in this morning it won't make happy listening for him. Caller after caller phoned in to call for him to go. many were sympathetic to his predicament but virtually all felt it was untenable for a recovering alcoholic to be a political party leader. For someone to aspire to be Prime Minister and for that person to be a recovering alcoholic and have their finger on the nuclear button is simply not tenable. The LibDem candidate Hannah Hedges said people should support Kennedy and his drink problem had not affected his performance. Anyone watching Newsnight last night would beg to differ - especially those present at the LibDem manifesto launch where CK was clearly the worse for wear.
Friday, January 06, 2006
5 Live Phone in - Game up for Kennedy
If Charles Kennedy is listening to 5 Live's phone in this morning it won't make happy listening for him. Caller after caller phoned in to call for him to go. many were sympathetic to his predicament but virtually all felt it was untenable for a recovering alcoholic to be a political party leader. For someone to aspire to be Prime Minister and for that person to be a recovering alcoholic and have their finger on the nuclear button is simply not tenable. The LibDem candidate Hannah Hedges said people should support Kennedy and his drink problem had not affected his performance. Anyone watching Newsnight last night would beg to differ - especially those present at the LibDem manifesto launch where CK was clearly the worse for wear.
It's all an excuse.
ReplyDeleteThe real reason they want Kennedy out is because he's ginger!
http://awnty.blogspot.com
I’m not sure what would be scarier. Having a toper as PM or someone in AA as PM.
ReplyDeleteI am with the last comment, us gingers have a hard time of it. My recollection though is that Charles was worst for wear at the manifesto launch because he had just become a father and was 'enjoying' sleepless nights with his new baby. Surely you have enough examples Iain without making up obvious distortions of the truth. I will be blogging my view on this situation on my blog shortly.
ReplyDeletePeter, have you seen the footgae from the launch? There is no way he was behaving like that through sleep depravation. No way at all - and I know plenty of senior LibDems who would agree with me.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Iain. I was present a year ago at a Lib Dem policy launch at 9.30 in the morning.
ReplyDeleteThe guy was drunk and slurring through a speech.
It was a sureal situation as his handlers and the press carried on as if all was fine.
Things brings me to what has angered me about this situation for two years now.
Both the press and his colleagues knew all this and have done nothing about it. The press never exposed it and the Lib Dem parliamentary Party stood by because they clearly felt their seats were safer with him in post than with an alternative from their dreary list of candidates.
What a shambles - but what a glorious day for those Conservative seats on loan to the Lib Dems!!!