Charlie Kennedy

[Rubha_an_Tuir]

ITV had a scoop tonight and charles came out public to rob them of that exclusive. And ITV Being the parasitic tabloid pathetic journalisim that it is has decided to slaughter the man. I have no affiliation to Charles Kennedy but having a problem with drink does not make you a bad person nor does it make you suitable to be subjected to an attempt at slaughter openly by "Daisy McAndrew" (4th rate universally ridiculed journalist)
Charles Kennedy has come forward and is attacking his demons. fair play Mr Kennedy.

This was written as a result of ITV's insulting journalism that drags decent factual writers down.

Michael W Fraser

[daviddd]

Fair play maybe, but the man isn't fit to stand again as leader in my opinion, can't be trusted. He lied several times about being alky.

[Rheghead]

Modern History portrays the Greatest Briton, Winston Churchill as an irrascible man with a drink problem. If we had asked Churchill if he was an alky I doubt very much if he would have admitted it then resigned as PM and stood for re-election. So my view is 'good for Charlie boy!', it takes courage to finally face the music.

Having said all that, I doubt whether he will be leader in 12 months time.

[Alice in Blunderland]

Yes he lied, I take my hat off to anyone who can stand up and confess to so many such a personal matter.He is now having to battle this problem as well as the press and so much more.I do feel for him .One of the joys of being such a public figure I suppose.

[katarina]

yes but the first part of gettin to grips with alcoholism is admitting tht you have a problem, which he has now done and has been dry 4 2 months..?

[landmarker]

I like a drink myself but have never felt it caused a problem or ruled/ijnterefered with my life or affected my work.

The bone of contention for me here is that Kennedy lied, more than once. I have heard him challenged often, on drink, he has always denied there is a 'problem' Now, backed into a corner he has admitted to it in a form of damage limitaion exercise. His postion is untenable. He should resign & he will, I'd put money on it.

[EDDIE]

I think charles should do the right thing and stand down there is no way in a month of sundays that reformed alcholic will ever get the job as prime minister with all the stress involved in that job

[landmarker]

I think charles should do the right thing and stand down there is no way in a month of sundays that reformed alcholic will ever get the job as prime minister with all the stress involved in that job

I agree Eddie, put think you overestimate the possibilities for Kennedy's party. It's a two party fight and will be for the forseeable future.

Another question is: should he remain as an M.P.? I'd answer yes, because I've no wish to kick a man when he is down, however, if he is still having problems at the next election then he should not stand.

[badger]

The bone of contention for me here is that Kennedy lied, more than once. I have heard him challenged often, on drink, he has always denied there is a 'problem' Now, backed into a corner he has admitted to it in a form of damage limitaion exercise. His postion is untenable. He should resign & he will, I'd put money on it.

Have to agree that he only admitted to the problem because he didn't have any other choice. I think what ITN was planning is despicable but wonder how long CK would have carried on otherwise? Everyone around him knew he had a problem yet still he lied presumably because he didn't actually believe he had. In fact I don't think, from the statement he made, that he is really facing up to it now and that's the sad part. Alcoholics are very manipulative and very convincing, partly I'm sure because they believe (or want to believe) what they're saying. He says he has been dry for 2 months but how do we know? Apparently a huge amount of drinking goes on in the House of Commons which must be a nightmare for anyone with a problem. You'd never get away from it.

[Ann]

I wonder......is Charles Kennedy the only alcoholic in Parliament; have no other members got a drink problem; have none of them ever told a lie?

Does anyone know what defines an alcoholic?

Many a heavy drinker I know does not think they have a problem. When does it become a problem? Is it me who has the problem, i.e., do I know what constitutes a heavy drinker/alcoholic?

Can we not say the same for smokers, junk food consumers, driving too fast etc?

They can all cause harm.....to the perpretator and others.

I hope Charles Kennedy is now able to face his destructive habits honestly and get on with the rest of his life; be it in politics or otherwise.

I wish him good luck.

[JAWS]

The difference between a heavy drinker and an Alcoholic is that a heavy drinker has a choice in the matter and, apart from having a hangover, suffers no after effect.

An Alcoholic doesn't have that choice, because without the alcohol the body will have a very physical response, in fact it will "demand" more alcohol and will make you suffer until it gets it.

I won't even try to explain the difference in the decision making ability of a smoker, junk food eater, fast driver etc., and a person who is drunk, the difference is obvious.

I hope Charles Kennedy does get over his problem, but I'm afraid two months being dry is nothing. One thing he certainly doesn't need is a large amount of additional outside pressures.
The strain of running a Political Party in the full view of the Public with the Media watching every move in the hope of getting a "scoop" and constantly asking the question, "Has he?" or, "Hasn't he?" isn't something he needs.

It matters little to me if he continues to lead his Party or not, but one thing I don't want to see is a gleeful Media chasing round just praying that he will fail and that they can get a good picture of it.

[Steely Eyed Tortoise]

Has anyone else noticed how Charles Kennedy is being slaughtered by the Media and yet George Best was lauded as some kind of Hero ??

Both have / had drink problems (Best's far worse) but at least Charles Kennedy hasnt been done for drink driving or knocking ten bells out of his missus .. Media in this country are parasites.

Fair play for addressing the issue Charles.

[JAWS]

Aye, but only after George Best was dying.
I don't really think Charles Kennedy should do anything that drastic to attract sympathy, it's a bit over the top even for a Politician!

[badger]

That's the really frightening thing - George Best died. Alcoholism isn't some social misdemeanour, it's a frequently fatal illness and the last thing Charles Kennedy needs is the pressure of having to prove to his party that he can still be an effective leader under the spotlight of everyone watching for signs he has had a drink. It takes incredible strength of will to overcome this and never take another alcoholic drink when so often he will be surrounded by other people drinking freely. That's why I believe he is still in denial and I feel desperately sorry for his family.
Don't quite understand why people keep referring to his "courage" in speaking out. He has denied his illness for a very long time and threatened to sue any journalist who mentioned it. What other choice did he have given the threat of imminent exposure? He obviously wants to remain party leader so he could hardly run away and hide.

[highlander2222]

He has resigned as leader

[AR]

Steely eyed tortoise is right George Best was sum washed up alky that kicked a ball, thank goodness we wont he any more from him. But i Dont suppose Man U fans etc will let us forget!
A lot more MPs look as bad or worse than Charles Kennedy, and im sure there are alkys working in far more important situations than him.

[DW]

Think he'll have a dram to commiserate?;)

[Steely Eyed Tortoise]

Hope he does .. then turns up outside Number 10 with his shirt tails hanging out, kebab in one hand challenging Tony to come out for a scrap .. I would pay good money to see that.

[Kenn]

You can only lie when you are aware of the truth and choose to deny it.If you do not or cannot recognise the truth for whatever reason then you cannot be adjudged to have lied.
For any one who has an adictive problem the first truth is that they must recognise it before they can admit to it.
Mr Kennedy has more courage than most is finally admitting that he has had a problem with alcohol and avering his intention of dealing with it in the full glare of the media.
Quite frankly it is of more concern to me that the rats who infest Parliament are very quick to bite with no thought to the consequences.

[landmarker]

Steely eyed tortoise is right George Best was sum washed up alky that kicked a ball, thank goodness we wont he any more from him. But i Dont suppose Man U fans etc will let us forget!
A lot more MPs look as bad or worse than Charles Kennedy, and im sure there are alkys working in far more important situations than him.

that's a bit Rodney Marsh innit? (harsh)

I think people everywhere who love and appreciate the round ball game will lament the passing of one of its greatest exponents. He was in the grip of alcoholism yes, as are many. At least he never tried to hide his addiction, was honest about it and confronted it.

Kennedy is just another lying politician (they all lie, it's the nature of the business) backed into a corner he decided to be 'courageous' and admit the truth.

Another self serving liar will soon emerge to take his place.

It's by no means certain that the football field will see another George Best anytime soon.

[weeboyagee]

having a problem with drink does not make you a bad person nor does it make you suitable to be subjected to an attempt at slaughter openly by "Daisy McAndrew" (4th rate universally ridiculed journalist)


It's by no means certain that the football field will see another George Best anytime soon.

Erm,......landmarker,.......I seem to remember very recently on Sky News a certain Paul Gascoigne trying his very, very best to slever a string of sentences out of his mouth whilst under the influence of alcohol. I personally think that there are many other footballers who are or could be as "great" as George Best but we have certainly seen a replacement for the alcohol/football mix gone wrong.

No-one did the job of reporting it as it was, they ducked and dived headlining the guy for talking while drunk in a TV interview. Rubh an Tuir has it bang on with the media pitching the level of the report as it sees fit to the public. What would have been the cries of the public had Charles Kennedy appeared on the TV in an interview in the same state as Mr Gascoigne??? What would have been the treatment by the Press??? What would have been the headlines??? :rolleyes:

One rule for one and another rule for the other - as dictated by the media - and as swallowed by the general public!

[landmarker]

[QUOTE=weeboyagee]Erm,......landmarker,.......I seem to remember very recently on Sky News a certain Paul Gascoigne trying his very, very best to slever a string of sentences out of his mouth whilst under the influence of alcohol. I personally think that there are many other footballers who are or could be as "great" as George Best but we have certainly seen a replacement for the alcohol/football mix gone wrong.
QUOTE]

Please let me know where these footballers are. I'd love to be an agent for one of them.

If I may say so, mentioning Paul Gascoigne in the same breath as George Best in terms of football would be a mistake. The former was not a patch on the latter. As for the boozing stakes I'm not sure who would come out on top.

Gascoigne, sadly, is an uneducated oaf. I hope he turns his life around and gets some much needed help.

[JAWS]

What would have been the cries of the public had Charles Kennedy appeared on the TV in an interview in the same state as Mr Gascoigne???

I seem to recall that just before the last election Mr Kennedy had the same problem as Mr Gascoine. Of course, Mr Gascoine didn't have a baby at home to use as an excuse and I doubt very much that if he had the press would have been decent enough to accept it. I understand that at one point he had had such a sleepless night that he couldn't even make a good attempt at getting his Parties Policy right.

That apart, is anyone suggesting that a TV Sports Pundid is in just as important a position as the Leader of one of our major Political Parties?
How anybody can make comparisons between somebody who was capable of kicking a football without falling over with somebody who has aspirations to run a Country is just beyond my comprehension.

[Rheghead]

I read in todays Courier that Cllr Graeme Smith is threatening to leave the LibDems over the maltreatment of Chucky. This may seem an honorable gesture to go as an independent but since old Smithy is a fervent supporter of the Highland Renewable Energy Strategy, then I think it may leave him high and dry without any town support. He is best to sit down and shut up.

[badger]

Wonder how Smith would react if he had to work with someone as unreliable as Kennedy, endlessly covering up and keeping up the pretence (which Kennedy insisted on) that all was well - no problem. How many times did we hear him say he didn't have a drink problem? I know what it's like because I've done it but my colleague wasn't hoping to run the country any more than those sad footballers. I believe Kennedy is still in denial; if he wasn't he would have jumped before he was pushed. He is seriously ill and had no hope of getting better while staying in post. Maybe now it's all out in the open, the pressure is off and hopefully he is getting treatment, he will overcome his problem. He'll never be "cured" because there is no cure but he can learn to live without drink and maybe return to power one day. Members threatening to leave the Party help no-one, least of all Kennedy, who needs to put himself, his wife and his child first for a while.

[landmarker]

Members threatening to leave the Party help no-one, least of all Kennedy, who needs to put himself, his wife and his child first for a while.

He is not a bad bloke. Better than any of the challengers in my opinion. I'm not a Lib-dem voter -wasted a vote for 'Alliance' back way back when & vowed 'never again'

Kennedy , as you say needs to get back on track and look after his wife and child. He is young, and there is time for him to come back if he can win the battle with the booze. Prospects are not good because the pressures are so intense. So, he could not quite remember pension policy under the heat of studio lights live on television three days after the birth of his first child!!

These politicians are still people! Human beings with human frailties. They lie a lot of course, but Kennedy is/was by no means the worst exponent of that subtle art.