Party defends secrecy over Kennedy

Liberal Democrats have defended the cloak of secrecy they threw around Charles Kennedy's alcoholism, as new revelations about his drinking emerged.

A new book about Mr Kennedy alleges that his problems dated back to before his election as leader in 1999 and that senior Lib Dems sought to conceal its effects for years.

The party insisted it had only tried to maintain his "right to privacy", while a former chairman claimed the extent of his difficulties was known only to his innermost circle.

The book - serialised in The Times - says Mr Kennedy was on the verge of admitting his alcoholism at a Westminster press conference in 2003.

By that time, he had already been receiving professional help for more than a year and his inner circle - including Sir Menzies Campbell, then deputy leader - wanted to end innuendo in the press.

On the day of the planned announcement, however, Mr Kennedy decided he could not go through with it and that he would handle the problem in his own way.

Thereafter, the book claims, his circle learnt to hide the physical manifestations of his heavy drinking from public scrutiny.

Amid frenzied media speculation, he eventually admitted a drink problem in January and quit days later after an ultimatum from frontbench MPs.

Matthew Taylor, who was party chairman at the time of the planned 2003 press conference, said he was not aware of the discussions at the time.

"That was kept very close to his immediate staff and to Ming Campbell as deputy leader," he said. "At that point, this was a man who was admitting that he had a problem and taking it on privately."