Comments on: Charles Kennedy

By: Simon Varwell’s blog » Blog Archive » Saturday 7 January 2006

Simon Varwell’s blog » Blog Archive » Saturday 7 January 2006 — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 13:59:56 +0000

[...] Gareth Saunders drew my attention a few moments ago to his latest blog, which talks about the resignation of Charles Kennedy, the leader of the Liberal Democrats.Mr Kennedy "came out" the other day as having had a battle against alcohol, something there have been rumours about for months now and which he has previously publicly denied. It seems he's come under increasing pressure from colleagues and the press to "go public" about it, and now that he has done his fellow LibDem MPs have forced him to resign the leadership. [...]

By: Sunny Martin aka joinee freya

Sunny Martin aka joinee freya — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 16:49:57 +0000

Hi there – you are so right about Charles Kennedy. I really feel for him right now and all the other alcaholics who will now feel they might have to hide their real selves for fear of losing their jobs. He has sought help and so far as I can tell is doing what he can to help himself. The libdems are totally out of order to give him the vote of no confidence. It is a sad day for politics.

By: Gareth J M Saunders

Gareth J M Saunders — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 16:52:19 +0000

Thanks Bernard, I’ve had a few emails and IM messages from people saying much the same. Such as

Liked your piece on Charles Kennedy very much.

I had a really good conversation with an old friend from my London days on the telephone today, and we too were lamenting the seeming inability of anyone in a prominent political position from admitting to any kind of weakness.

I’m glad that God uses our weaknesses. Reminds me of this passage from Philippians 2:

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care– then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.

Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human.

It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death–and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.

Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honoured him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth–even those long ago dead and buried–will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

(Philippians 2:1-11, The Message translation)

By: Bernard Hill

Bernard Hill — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 15:17:26 +0000

Well said about Charles Kennedy. Denial is a standard symptom of alcoholism. (And before you ask, no, I’m not an alcoholic….).

And well said about the double standards of the media. Who rules Britain? Hypocrisy does, anyway. There is, sadly, no chance of any political leader being praised for admitting any form of weakness.

As I said to Christine: it’s a good job I didn’t go into politics because you wouldn’t have liked living in Downing Street. (Her reply withheld).