Posted on 01/06/2006 11:32:25 AM PST by proud_yank
London — Leading members of Britain's opposition Liberal Democrats demanded the resignation of party Leader Charles Kennedy on Friday, warning that his unprecedented public acknowledgment of a drinking problem has made him a “dead man walking.”
Parliamentary deputies began turning against the 46-year-old Scotsman after he acknowledged in a public statement late Thursday that he had sought medical treatment for the problem.
The party's Treasury spokesman, Vince Cable, handed a letter to Mr. Kennedy signed by 11 senior party legislators, saying his was position was untenable.
International development spokesman Andrew George and trade and industry spokesman Norman Lamb announced that they would quit their posts on Monday unless Mr. Kennedy resigned.
As many as 18 other MPs were expected to make a similar threat late Friday when a statement is released calling for Kennedy to step down.
The situation has thrown Britain's third-largest party into turmoil only months before local authority elections in May. Unless it is resolved, the Liberal Democrats risk losing votes to both the governing Labour Party and the main opposition Conservative Party – a boon for both Prime Minister Tony Blair and new Conservative Leader David Cameron.
Mr. Kennedy promised reporters gathered outside his home Friday that he would fight on.
Despite his insistence that he has abstained from alcohol for two months, party stalwarts such as Chris Davies questioned whether he is still capable of leading the Liberal Democrats.
“People are not going to vote for a party because they feel sorry for its leader. Charles Kennedy needs to accept that,” Mr. Davies told the British Broadcasting Corp. “Charles is – what's the American expression? – a dead man walking.”
Mr.Kennedy's opposition to the Iraq war and his affable style have made him a popular politician. He was the most successful Liberal leader in decades, steering the party through an election last year that boosted its tally of legislators in the 646-seat House of Commons to 62 from 55.
But he has been criticized as lacking the charisma to topple Mr. Blair.
Pressure on him Kennedy has intensified since the appointment last month of the young and dynamic Mr. Cameron, 39, who has already boosted the Conservatives' poll ratings.
On Friday, several newspapers slammed Mr. Kennedy for repeatedly denying having a drinking problem in earlier interviews.
His detractors in the party pounced on the weakened leader. Jenny Tonge, a former member of Parliament who was fired by Mr. Kennedy after she expressed understanding for Palestinian suicide bombers, denounced the admission as an “underhand” attempt to appeal to grassroots members to bolster his position.
“Alcoholism is an appalling condition, and one has to have sympathy for that,” she said. “But, quite honestly, if you are looking for someone to play the part of Tarzan, you wouldn't employ a one-legged actor. If we were looking for someone to lead our party, we wouldn't deliberately go for an alcoholic.”
"Kennedy" even!
It depends, is drinking interfering with his job? Has he ever gone to work drunk?
A Kennedy with a drinking problem? Man that's had to believe
True, article didn't say.
Being a democrat by nature means you have to drink.
BTW - who does a politican drink with? Other politicans.
He's a Liberal Democrat. It might be an improvement.
as far as I know he was frequently intoxicated in parliament. Then again, so was Churchill.
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