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==[[January 6]] [[2006]]==
*Media speculation continuescontinued that many of the party's MPs arewere trying to persuade Kennedy to resign before the leadership contest. The letter of lost confidence and asking for resignation, drafted by Vincent Cable before Christmas 2005 and signed by 11eleven frontbenchers, iswas delivered to Mr. Kennedy. [[Nick Harvey]] has said he iswas prepared to table a motion of no confidence in the leader at the following week's weekly meeting of the parliamentary party.{{ref|epolitix}} This wouldwas to enable those that willwould not stand against Kennedy to enter the contest, notably Mark Oaten and Menzies Campbell. Opinion amongst journalists seemsseemed split as toon whether Kennedy willwould yield to this pressure to resign, stand unopposed or be challenged in the contest. Further public developments and statements by prominent Liberal Democrats made in reference to the question of Kennedy's leadership arewere:
*The leader of the British Liberal Democrats in the [[European Parliament]], [[Chris Davies]] [[MEP]], said Kennedy was a "dead man walking".
*Ex-frontbench MP and nowthen peer [[Jenny Tonge]], speaking on BBC Radio 4's ''Today'' Programme, accuses Kennedy of "destroying the party" and said that she was "appalled, saddened, disgusted" by Kennedy's statement that he was an alcoholic. She sayssaid his calling of a leadership contest "underhand" by ignoring the calls of many of his MPs to step down and instead appealing directly to the party membership 'grassroots'.
*[[Nick Harvey]] MP sayssaid Kennedy's position iswas untenable. He describes Kennedy's standing in the leadership contest as an "absurd charade" comparing the leadership contest to a "Soviet Union-style mock election".{{ref|bbc-fresh}}
*International Development spokesperson, and former [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to Charles Kennedy, [[Andrew George]] declares that he willwould resign from the Liberal Democrat frontbench on Monday [[January 9]] [[2006]] if Kennedy iswas still leader. Trade spokesperson [[Norman Lamb]], who also previously served as Kennedy's PPS, declaresdeclared his intention to similarly resign. Both were signatories to the letter expressing no confidence. {{ref|bbc-george-resig}}
*According to the BBC, [[Phil Willis]] MP sayssaid that MPs were wrong to dismiss the prospect of a leadership vote for all party members, in apparent support for Kennedy continuing to stand.
*[[BBC News]] reportsreported that over twenty Liberal Democrat frontbenchers arewere threatening resignation if Kennedy does not go, and some other MPs arewere declaring that they willwould refuse to fill any vacancies created. {{ref|bbc-mass-resig}}
*[[Matthew Taylor (politician)|Matthew Taylor]], a close friend of Kennedy's who ran his successful leadership campaign in the [[Liberal Democrats leadership election, 1999|1999 leadership election]], tells [[BBC News 24]] that he feels it iswas essential for both Kennedy personally and the party that he step down from the leadership.
*The Liberal Democrat peer and MEP, [[Emma Nicholson|Baroness Nicholson]], also urgesurged Mr Kennedy to resign, saying that he needed to concentrate on his fight against his drink problem{{ref|times-revolt}}.
*Howard Sykes, of the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors, comescame out in support of Kennedy saying grassroots activists would back him and that he was suprised that MPs were not prepared to do the same{{ref|times-revolt2}}.
*At 18:25, [[Ed Davey]] and [[Sarah Teather]] arewere at the head of twenty-five Liberal Democrat MPs, including nineteen members of the frontbench, issuing a joint statement declaring that they cancould no longer support Kennedy's leadership and serve under him. They callcalled on Kennedy to resign over the weekend. They include eight members of the "Shadow Cabinet" and eleven MPs first elected at the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005 general election]].
**The MPs are: [[Norman Baker]], [[Tom Brake]], [[Alistair Carmichael]], [[Nick Clegg]], [[Ed Davey]], [[Andrew George]], [[Sandra Gidley]], [[Jeremy Browne]], [[Tim Farron]], [[Lynne Featherstone]], [[Julia Goldsworthy]], [[Evan Harris]], [[Nick Harvey]], [[Martin Horwood]], [[Chris Huhne]], [[Norman Lamb]], [[David Laws]], [[John Pugh]], [[Dan Rogerson]], [[Adrian Sanders]], [[Jo Swinson]], [[Matthew Taylor (politician)|Matthew Taylor]], [[Sarah Teather]], [[Stephen Williams (politician)|Stephen Williams]], [[Jenny Willott]] {{ref|guardian-25}} {{ref|bbc-list}}
*The BBC's ''[[Newsnight]]'' reports that thirty-three MPs, over half the parliamentary party, feel that Kennedy's continued leadership iswas untenable. {{ref|bbc-quit}}
==[[January 7]] [[2006]]==
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