A dramatic day
- 5 Jan 06, 07:56 PM
British politics has never seen a statement quite like this. Not merely a leader confessing to battling a drink problem, not merely admitting therefore to having lied repeatedly about it but also then triggering a leadership contest and insisting he'll stand and wants to win.
Many voters and party members may applaud his candour and sympathise with his personal crisis. They may condemn the media for forcing a private problem into the public gaze. Many of his own MPs, though, are likely to be more brutal, believing that he has repeatedly ignored their personal pleas for him to confront his problems and their invitations for him to stand aside.
He has invited party members to decide his future. It is though still open to his parliamentary colleagues to pre-empt that contest and to pass a motion of no confidence in him. Just under half of his shadow cabinet signed a letter withdrawing their support before today's confession. Now they must decide what to do next.
Here are just a few of the things Mr Kennedy and his office have said about allegations about having a drink problem:
5 January 2005 on Today programme
"[A]s I said in an interview before Christmas - if there's a perception of anxiety on that score there needn't be"
18 December 05 his office issued a statement rebutting Paul Marsden story in Mail on Sunday
"Paul Marsden is claiming that Charles Kennedy had a drink problem, which Charles Kennedy strenuously denies. The Mail on Sunday made clear that we dispute his 'facts' and his allegations."
On Dimbleby, ITV1, 18 December 05
Dimbleby asked: "Has it been a battle to stay off the booze, have you had to have medical support in any way at all?"
"No, no, no, that is not the case, it is a matter on all fronts - if there's something my doctor really wants me to do over this holiday period as a matter of fact, is give up smoking and I think he's right," said Mr Kennedy."
To Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight, July 2002
"How much do you drink?" Mr Paxman asked.
"Moderately, socially, as you well know", was the reply.
"You don't drink privately?"
"What do you mean, privately?"
"By yourself, a bottle of whisky late at night?"
"No, I do not, no."
