Sharper readers of the dead-tree-press will realise that headlines like “Kennedy ‘must recover’ before return” and “Sir Menzies Campbell made clear that he would be welcome but only once he is ‘fully recovered’ “ don’t make sense if he is now sober.The press is being kind and nobody is openly saying that Charlie is not a full-time passenger on the wagon. Far be it from Guido to claim any high moral ground here, in fact the prospect of finishing a bottle of Port with Charlie after lunch sounds like a fun Friday afternoon, but nobody is suggesting Guido is a potential PM-in-waiting.
To be fair, when asked on television recently when it was he last had a drink Kennedy avoided answering the question. Guido knows that he has been the worse for wear as recently as June. A trusted co-conspirator was surprised to see Kennedy coming in the office door in Portcullis House in late June, when he appeared to be the worse for drink and confused about which door led to his office. This was at four in the afternoon.
