Título: Charles Kennedy
Seção: Resignation
Background: Kennedy was born in Inverness, the son of Mary and Ian. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic, and was educated at Lochaber High School in Fort William. He went on to study for a Master of Arts degree in Politics and Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. At university he became politically active, joining the SDP, as well as the Dialectic Society.

Conteúdo: On 6 January 2006 Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem. He decided to pre-empt the broadcast, called a sudden news conference, and made a personal statement that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem, but had sought professional help. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest, in which he would stand, to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all. It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned ITV News correspondent, Daisy McAndrew.  The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing and 25 MPs signed a statement urging him to resign immediately. It was later claimed in a biography of Kennedy by the journalist Greg Hurst that senior Liberal Democrats had known about Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected as leader in 1999 and had subsequently kept it hidden from the public.  On 7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference, at which he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader because of the lack of confidence from the Parliamentary party. He said he would not be a candidate 

user: What led this choice

assistant: On 6 January 2006 Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem.

user: What did this do

assistant: called a sudden news conference, and made a personal statement that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem,

user: What was this in a strategiy stand point

assistant: He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem

user: What did he say

assistant: dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest, in which he would stand, to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all.

user: who wrote this

assistant: It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned ITV News correspondent, Daisy McAndrew.

user: What did this mean

assistant: The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing and 25 MPs signed a statement urging him to resign immediately.

user: What did this reveal

assistant: Liberal Democrats had known about Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected as leader in 1999 and had subsequently kept it hidden from the public.

user: What did this do

assistant: On 7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference, at which he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages

user: What did this do to him

assistant: he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader because of the lack of confidence from the Parliamentary party.

user: what did this mean for his hope

assistant: said he would not be a candidate in the leadership election and was standing down as leader "with immediate effect",