The mainstream media never missed an opportunity to further the notion that Kennedy was a "heavy drinker". Indeed, the (selectively applied) claim was pushed so aggressively it effectively ruined his career. Even now, before any attempt at post-mortem is carried out, many in the press are tentatively suggesting it was the booze that killed him.
I really don't know enough about Kennedy's private life to support or refute the above. But given the boundless affinity Westminster MPs have for all things alcohol it does make me wonder why they only chose to pick on Kennedy.
To me it has all the makings of a political "narrative" meant to curtail any further investigation. I mean, maybe he was a drunk. But does anyone bother asking WHY was he a drunk? He seemed to function perfectly well for many years and then ... BANG ... he's suddenly bouncing off the walls at the party conference (just in time for an important election in which the Lib-Dems are to play a pivotal role).
On more than one occasion he's seemed on the verge of saying something about "disloyalty" around the time of him standing down and then shut up. Was he done in by his own side? Or were the boys down at GCHQ sniffing into someone else's private correspondence?
