kennedy: my booze hell

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coo ur gosh: lib-dem leader charles kennedy finally admits he's been "seeking to cope with a drink problem". he's on telly right now, ~~puking violently on his own shoes~~ apologising for whatever he might have done the night before and calling everyone his besht mate.

leadership election imminent, it seems.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 5 January 2006 17:58 (twenty years ago)

"In a statement, Mr Kennedy said that he had not acknowledged his problem publicly because "I wanted to overcome it privately". He said that the issue is "essentially resolved".

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:01 (twenty years ago)

trebles all round, then.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:02 (twenty years ago)

That's not many of them, perhaps everyone of them could be leader for a week. That's be democratic.

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:06 (twenty years ago)

"I consider myself to be capable and in good health." Hm, nobody's gonna care though, are they.

Dunt think he's gonna last, even if it he doees say it is resolved. I can't think of any openly recovering alcoholic MPs off the top of head.

― Zoe Espera (Espera), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:07 (twenty years ago)

Not that there shouldn't be any, might I add.

― Zoe Espera (Espera), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:08 (twenty years ago)

that's what this country needs, though! a man in tune with the binge-drinking populace; a man who can stay up till 4am and still light his own cigarettes with a steady hand; a man who can wake up with a pounding head and dubiously stained trousers and still be there at his post, failing to make any headway whatsoever against a fatally wounded government and a laughing-stock oppositi ... oh.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:10 (twenty years ago)

"The BBC has learnt that just under half of Mr Kennedy's front bench team signed a letter saying they no longer have confidence in his leadership."

definitely over, then, really.

― toby (tsg20), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:12 (twenty years ago)

I wonder if he'll be on celebrity big brother? That should have been his announcement!

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:13 (twenty years ago)

I nominate Esteban Buttez as the new Lib Dem leader.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:13 (twenty years ago)

http://www.solihullcamra.org/Pictures%202/Wetherspoons.jpg

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:18 (twenty years ago)

My husband and brother both swear blind they saw Charlie K coming out of an off-licence in Inverness one morning clutching a bottle of whisky. I was all "oh, he doesn't have a drink problem, liking a drink isn't the same as having a drink problem, buying whisky in the morning doesn't mean he's drinking in the morning" etc etc.

Is it possible that Kennedy is being forced by a spin doctor to admit that he's overcome a drink problem to make him seem more likeable; a stronger, more resilient type person? Rather than just a ginger Highlander who likes the odd glass of alcoholic beverage now and again (which, let's face it, makes him me)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 5 January 2006 19:33 (twenty years ago)

It's just like John Major in 1995 - the more he stated firmly that he was in control, the more it was obvious that there was a problem, because if speculation continues after the first 'I'm in control' statement, then it's clear that you've not dampened it, and appeals to unity lest they upset the applecart are ignored, because people have decided that upsetting the applecart is less problematic that letting someone carry on.

Unlike Major, I can't see Charlie boy winning this one. The big unknown is the whole simmering ideological fault-line under the Lib dems. The rightwingers will want him out, but the older guard seem more social-liberal than economic-liberal. Anyone got any better steers?

I think the key was missing the Budget Statement last year; if people do the business, colleagues are want to overlook 'failing'; if you miss one of the few big set pieces when you can get national live airtime when more than just the politicos are watching, then people are going to say enough is enough.

― Dave B (daveb), Thursday, 5 January 2006 19:53 (twenty years ago)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1175000/images/_1178489_blair_pint150.jpg

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Thursday, 5 January 2006 20:23 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I didn't say it was a *good* spin idea, just an idea. Possibly thought up because the poor old voters will be so confused what with Cameron moving the Tories left to meet the right-moving Labour that maybe they'll forgot that Kennedy's been denying this "drink problem" for years and just see him as a brave and honest soul in the midst of liars.

(xpost to Dave)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 5 January 2006 20:32 (twenty years ago)

I thought this was going to be about a Kennedy Kennedy.

― tokyo nursery school: afternoon session (rosemary), Thursday, 5 January 2006 20:51 (twenty years ago)

As they know all about booze and drug hells.

― tokyo nursery school: afternoon session (rosemary), Thursday, 5 January 2006 20:51 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, sorry, our Kennedies are crap, what with the "no drugs hell" and that...

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 5 January 2006 20:51 (twenty years ago)

I thought this was going to be about a Kennedy Kennedy.

my plan exactly. lure you all in under false pretences, then hit you with staggering tedium about the personal life of the "leader" of the third UK "party".

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:17 (twenty years ago)

Well, I do know who Charles Kennedy is.

― tokyo nursery school: afternoon session (rosemary), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:37 (twenty years ago)

More than he knows most evenings

― Dave B (daveb), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:42 (twenty years ago)

badum-TISH etc.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:44 (twenty years ago)

http://politicalbetting.com/upload/kennedy%20ouch.jpg

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:45 (twenty years ago)

OK, someone needs to get that clip of him playing bowls really badly that they always drag out when he's on HIGNFY

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:47 (twenty years ago)

I'd be surprised if any of the LDs took him on now, to be honest. The GB public does love a plucky comeback story. Menzies Campbell is elderly and named after half a newsagents, Simon Hughes is just plain creepy and nobody knows who the hell the rest of them are. Plus any leadership election is one member one vote, and Kennedy's got the most support in the party rank and file.

All that being said though LEMBIT OPIK FOR PM

― Matt (Matt), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:50 (twenty years ago)

Haha, that would make Sian Lloyd the next Cherie Blair!

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:51 (twenty years ago)

http://www.gregmulholland.org/photos/GMbiog.jpg

This guy will lead the Lib Dems within 15 years. I guarantee it. Look at that hair!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:51 (twenty years ago)

ITV's Daisy Sampson screwed Charles Kennedy.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Thursday, 5 January 2006 23:42 (twenty years ago)

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