DU
Surely it's going to be hard to beat the Major/Currie revelations as a dramatic and revealing statement? A party leader with a drink problem is hardly the sensation of the century, is it?
This was revealed long after (years indeed) Major stepped down as leader of the conservative party.
It's pretty dramatic for a serving MP, nevermind party leader to admit to a drinking problem, although no doubt Kennedy isn't the only MP with such an issue.
Media Guardian's Monkey has picked up on ITV's disappointment and the lack of a news channel to break the news on:
Jonathan H posted:
couch_potato posted:
"The most dramatic, revealing statement a party leader has ever made" - Nick Robinson, Six o'clock News.
Surely it's going to be hard to beat the Major/Currie revelations as a dramatic and revealing statement? A party leader with a drink problem is hardly the sensation of the century, is it?
This was revealed long after (years indeed) Major stepped down as leader of the conservative party.
It's pretty dramatic for a serving MP, nevermind party leader to admit to a drinking problem, although no doubt Kennedy isn't the only MP with such an issue.
Media Guardian's Monkey has picked up on ITV's disappointment and the lack of a news channel to break the news on:
Quote:
Who broke the news on Charles Kennedy?
Thursday January 5, 2006
Ping! Within seconds of Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy's press conference ending today, Monkey receives an ITV News press release bragging that it was "only when ITV News put the results of the investigation [into his drink problem and treatment] to Mr Kennedy's office this afternoon that he called a press conference". So Kennedy basically scuppered an ITV News exclusive that it would have broken on its 6.30pm bulletin. Here's a crazy idea - if ITV had, say, a 24-hour news channel, it wouldn't be reduced to crying about lost exclusives by email.
Thursday January 5, 2006
Ping! Within seconds of Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy's press conference ending today, Monkey receives an ITV News press release bragging that it was "only when ITV News put the results of the investigation [into his drink problem and treatment] to Mr Kennedy's office this afternoon that he called a press conference". So Kennedy basically scuppered an ITV News exclusive that it would have broken on its 6.30pm bulletin. Here's a crazy idea - if ITV had, say, a 24-hour news channel, it wouldn't be reduced to crying about lost exclusives by email.
JH
Surely it's going to be hard to beat the Major/Currie revelations as a dramatic and revealing statement? A party leader with a drink problem is hardly the sensation of the century, is it?
This was revealed long after (years indeed) Major stepped down as leader of the conservative party.
Of course, but it happened whilst he was Prime Minister!
Indeed. Westminster is full of MPs and ministers with far darker secrets than a drink problem. And it is a Liberal Democrat we're talking about - he's hardly likely to be a contender for Number 10 anytime soon. Mind you, it made for an interesting news day...
Dunedin posted:
Jonathan H posted:
couch_potato posted:
"The most dramatic, revealing statement a party leader has ever made" - Nick Robinson, Six o'clock News.
Surely it's going to be hard to beat the Major/Currie revelations as a dramatic and revealing statement? A party leader with a drink problem is hardly the sensation of the century, is it?
This was revealed long after (years indeed) Major stepped down as leader of the conservative party.
Of course, but it happened whilst he was Prime Minister!
Dunedin posted:
It's pretty dramatic for a serving MP, nevermind party leader to admit to a drinking problem, although no doubt Kennedy isn't the only MP with such an issue.
Indeed. Westminster is full of MPs and ministers with far darker secrets than a drink problem. And it is a Liberal Democrat we're talking about - he's hardly likely to be a contender for Number 10 anytime soon. Mind you, it made for an interesting news day...
HC
So Charles Kennedy has a drink problem, has sort help and then at the end of the statement invites all members of his party outside for a fight...
I wonder what his election slogan will be?
Charles Kennedy for leader - Hesh your besht friend and he lovsh you"
I wonder what his election slogan will be?
Charles Kennedy for leader - Hesh your besht friend and he lovsh you"
DU
Indeed.
Interesting snippets from Nick Robinson's webblog suggesting that the BBC had some evidence that he'd been receiving treatment for alcohol abuse last summer.
But they didn't run with it after it was denied by the lib dem press office- it was therefore a single sourced allegation.
You can read the whole blog entry here
Interesting snippets from Nick Robinson's webblog suggesting that the BBC had some evidence that he'd been receiving treatment for alcohol abuse last summer.
But they didn't run with it after it was denied by the lib dem press office- it was therefore a single sourced allegation.
Quote:
Last summer something changed. The BBC received information that Mr Kennedy was undergoing treatment for an alcohol problem. This was put to Mr Kennedy's office who issued a flat denial. With that - and without independent evidence - the BBC decided it could not run the story.
In November, Charles Kennedy pulled out of a speech in Newcastle. His press secretary rang round to tell me and others that this was because his son was ill, but pleaded that we respected the privacy of the family. It has since emerged that at that time some of Mr Kennedy's colleagues thought he was unfit to appear in public.
In November, Charles Kennedy pulled out of a speech in Newcastle. His press secretary rang round to tell me and others that this was because his son was ill, but pleaded that we respected the privacy of the family. It has since emerged that at that time some of Mr Kennedy's colleagues thought he was unfit to appear in public.
You can read the whole blog entry here
CY
Another example of the post Hutton enquiry BBC losing their nerve when it comes to breaking a story.
Dunedin posted:
Indeed.
Interesting snippets from Nick Robinson's webblog suggesting that the BBC had some evidence that he'd been receiving treatment for alcohol abuse last summer.
But they didn't run with it after it was denied by the lib dem press office- it was therefore a single sourced allegation.
You can read the whole blog entry here
Interesting snippets from Nick Robinson's webblog suggesting that the BBC had some evidence that he'd been receiving treatment for alcohol abuse last summer.
But they didn't run with it after it was denied by the lib dem press office- it was therefore a single sourced allegation.
Quote:
Last summer something changed. The BBC received information that Mr Kennedy was undergoing treatment for an alcohol problem. This was put to Mr Kennedy's office who issued a flat denial. With that - and without independent evidence - the BBC decided it could not run the story.
In November, Charles Kennedy pulled out of a speech in Newcastle. His press secretary rang round to tell me and others that this was because his son was ill, but pleaded that we respected the privacy of the family. It has since emerged that at that time some of Mr Kennedy's colleagues thought he was unfit to appear in public.
In November, Charles Kennedy pulled out of a speech in Newcastle. His press secretary rang round to tell me and others that this was because his son was ill, but pleaded that we respected the privacy of the family. It has since emerged that at that time some of Mr Kennedy's colleagues thought he was unfit to appear in public.
You can read the whole blog entry here
Another example of the post Hutton enquiry BBC losing their nerve when it comes to breaking a story.