I have just watched Charles Kennedy's dignified statement on SKY NEWS announcing his resignation as leader of the Liberal Democrats. This is a political assassination almost on a par with that of Margaret Thatcher in 1990. Few realised the LibDem Parliamentary Party could be so ruthless. The Tory Party has taken 15 years to recover from that. I wonder if it will take LibDems as long. I feel particularly for Sarah, Kennedy's wife. I interviewed her for a job more than ten years ago and she's a wonderful woman. She'll be a critical support for him over the next few weeks, which are bound to be very lonely ones for him. I wonder who will be first out of the traps...
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Charles Kennedy Resigns
I have just watched Charles Kennedy's dignified statement on SKY NEWS announcing his resignation as leader of the Liberal Democrats. This is a political assassination almost on a par with that of Margaret Thatcher in 1990. Few realised the LibDem Parliamentary Party could be so ruthless. The Tory Party has taken 15 years to recover from that. I wonder if it will take LibDems as long. I feel particularly for Sarah, Kennedy's wife. I interviewed her for a job more than ten years ago and she's a wonderful woman. She'll be a critical support for him over the next few weeks, which are bound to be very lonely ones for him. I wonder who will be first out of the traps...
Well, that's it! At 3.00pm today it was finally all over! Charles has gone leaving the leadership wide-open for a contest. This is not and never will be a 'Cameron moment' for the Lib Dems. If I was a Lib Dem supporter or MP right now the most I would hope for would be a 'IDS/Howard moment, that being a single candidate put forward quickly for the leadership, which the whole party rallies behind, to fight a single general election. Sir Mings Campbell would appear to be that man for the Lib Dems. He is not however, a dynamic changing force for the Lib Dems and whilst he may consolidate on the gains made by Charles Kennedy (but we have to remember that there will be no 'anti-Iraq' votes for the Lib Dems come 2009), it may only be after the next election that the Lib Dems can fully move past this. Good news for us though. 1-0 Cameron. I would however like to state support for the way in which Charlie conducted himself and that it is a shame to see him brought down in this fashion. We have learnt from this, the Lib Dems obviously have not.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of Sean's comments. My problem with what has happened is not so much the conduct now - but the deceit prior to recent events. It seems many senior Lib Dems have been aware that he was receiving treatment for alcoholism since 2004. They allowed Kennedy to peddle a lie through a General Election campaign and beyond just to pritect their own interests. Instead of doing something about it at a time when he could have gone in a dignified way that could have protected him from the media scrutiny that will now follow, they have waited until he was fatally wounded by the media before thay went for blood.
ReplyDeleteThose 11 that signed a letter before Xmas and then waited for their moment to deliver it should hang their heads in shame.
Oh Della and Sarah. Bit of an own goal I’d say. Very unfashionably bitchy and childish comments about Charlie, who is generally held to be a likeable chap who finds himself in a sad pickle at the moment. Although currently not pickled we are led to believe.
ReplyDeleteAnd then you post something that makes us think aha – a good joke as an opener, articulate and then a thought provoking challenge not out of place in the interesting but marginal debate over English identity that has been mulling around for the past few years.
Yup now you mention it, we might actually miss him poor love.
Toots x