Having seen Rosie Boycott’s moving and blisteringly honest piece about her experience as alcoholic and how she related to Kennedy’s downfall on This Week tonight (frustratingly not on the web but there’s a similar article by her in The Guardian), I’ve come to the conclusion that I overreacted in anger at the actions of the Cable XI last week. While I’m sure none of them are reading this, I thought it was important to state for the record.
While it was clearly a cock up, I think I can see how the whole situation had got bigger than the actions of any individuals or group and that in many ways it was an instinctive loyalty to Charles that made the matter worse.
Time to move on.
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James - glad to see it and well done for making the comment. And I’d never say “I told you so”
Very gracious!
well, yes and no. It is time to move on and yes, i can see from my family therapy experience frightening parralells with those trapped in an abusive relationship and the parliamentary party. However they are all grown ups and i can’t help but wonder if it all couldn’t have been handled so much better. I suspect the determining factor will be the poll rating to be honest. has the recent 3 to 4% fall been an understandable blip or a semi permanent correction? I don’t know but i suspect the history of this will be written via this prism. However unfair this is.
I do tend to agree with your view of the leadership election (though I’d like to know what mark oaten has done to you!) I’ve never felt that a ming coronation was the most cathartic, or the most constructive way of getting the strategic, tactical and policy debate we desperately need. At least now we have a enough candidates for proper choices (though one more would be welcome) we can have this.
Three candidates should be enough, in my view!
And yes, James, I thought you were pretty tough on the First X!, who were batting on a sticky wicket, paying pretty straight, and faced with some pretty formidable spin.
One can only gain in strength from admitting to error. We all make mistakes, but only some of us learn from them. Well-done.
There are plenty of people in politics who are “always right”, of course. In the main, they are insufferably arrogant pigs and I avoid their company.
I don’t think the Kennedy affair could have been handled any better. It had been simmering for a very long time and there was no mechanism in place for dealing with it.
Most regrettable are the attempts by certain individuals to turn Charles Kennedy into a martyr and to paint his critics as monsters. And Lembit Opik’s injection of personal bitchiness into the proceedings defies belief.
Mark Oaten is seeking to exploit sympathy for Kennedy to win support for his leadership bid. Only the Party will suffer as a result. Oaten should be doing all he can do douse the flames, not pour paraffin on them.
All those involved in the various leadership campaigns have a moral duty to ensure that the contest is conducted in a civilised and seemly fashion - something which will do the Party credit.