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I applaud Charels Kennedy I think he is a good leader and if he is getting help what is the issue the people who want to replace him might be sober but they dont have the passion, energy or drive he has. The lib dems are stronger than ever under him. Leave Charle alone!

Interesting report you made about Mr Kennedy...I do however wonder why we never hear about journalists or media personalities who also have drink problems?....

kennedy has gone one better than "doing a John Major". Major put his leadership to a vote of his parlimentary party. Kennedy however has gambled on his entire party membership backing him. Perhaps in the spirit of "new faces" the Lib-Dems should start a new era along with the other two main parties by electing a new leader. On a personal level though it is sad to see the continued hounding and at times almost bullying of Kennedy on what is essentially a personal and private struggle.

Truly dramatic. One senses the drama of previous party leaders fighting to the bitter end - a cruel twist of IDS, a defience of Thatcher and a hint of Clinton scandal all rolled in to one.

As a Lib Dem member I think we do need a new leader, but that new leader should be a rejuvenated Charles Kennedy, using the undoubted political nous that he has to recapture some of the political agenda. I can see why this discontent has spread, due to his almost invisibility since the election. We need Chrles Kennedy to take the initiative and simply put himself about more, putting the case for the party. If he can do that, he can still be a very good leader, but he must prove himself again.

O tempora o mores. I can just see Winston Chruchill (another liberal) giving it the full "I drink too much" sketch. Kennedy has tried to brave it out but the fourth estate (the most pissed of all estates) has had his humber since chubby cheeks got the Tory job. Way to go, Chas.

sir
i watched your report on bbc 6pm news, and to be quite honest i am disgusted by your sanctimonious attitude about charles kennedy lying.
from your attitude i take it that you have never had anyone within your family with alcohol problems.
my sister was a drink & drug rehab counsellor and she will tell you that they will all lie and cheat for their next fix, but none of them will admit to having a problem. the hardest thing for any of them to do is stand up in public and admit their problems, not some 2 bit reporter bleating on about him being a liar.
having called mr kennedy a liar, when are you going to call tony blair & david cameron liars????.
for your informatio i am not a liberal supporter, but i also believe in NOT kicking a man when he has had the guts to confront his demons.

Nick

Great web log

supposing that some challenges charles kennedy how will the Confidence vote work?

and ifhe loses and esigns how do the liberal democrats elect another leader ?

I don’t think that people should be too hard on Charles Kennedy for the disparity between his admission today and his previous statements. Surely the whole point about how people become an alcoholic is that they are totally convinced that their drinking is not a problem. You can’t be said to be lying by stating something you believe to be true, even if you are wrong.