Edit: recording of interview here.

I’ve just been in to Radio Nottingham to record a quick interview about the new Charles Kennedy revelations in today’s Times.

I just missed hearing Matthew Taylor’s interview on WATO as I headed out to the BBC, so I didn’t hear until afterwards that he refutes some of the allegations made.

As it was, I went in prepared with a few factoids – and I got some of them across, I hope.

In particular, “the party is bigger than one man” – mentions of the Dunfermline by-election, the recent local Ashfield by-election, which saw Austin Rathe become a councillor, and the even more recent Derby defections.

Unfortunately, they didn’t let me get as far as my “hope the Conference isn’t overshadowed by these stories” piece, as I had a little bit prepared on all the other wonderful things that will be happening in Brighton in just over a fortnight: Tax Commision and Meeting the Challenge. Actually maybe that’s all for the best because I don’t necessarily have enough facts at my fingertips for either of those topics.

I will listen in to the interview shortly and see if I can judge how I did. Radio Nottingham is on the internet, if you feel sufficiently curious to tune in yourself. They’re already billing me as “senior Lib Dem” in the headlines. Drivetime has started, and my section will be broadcast between 5 and 6.

Just one further thought: my own Shetland gin confession last night couldn’t have been worse timed, given today’s CK story:

Charles Kennedy struggled with a severe alcohol problem throughout his period as leader. He did not drink excessively every day, colleagues said, but every so often would go on a spree of very heavy drinking. Contrary to a mythology drawn from a caricature of a Highlander, whisky was not his tipple of choice. Nor did he care for champagne, despite at times being dubbed “Champagne Charlie”. He drank gin and tonic, or wine.