Less than a month after their political lives collapsed, two fallen figureheads of the Liberal Democrats were today taking their first steps towards public rehabilitation.

Charles Kennedy, who was obliged to step down as party leader after finally admitting to his alcoholism, was out on the campaign trail in Dunfermline where he hopes to help his beleaguered party's chances in a by-election.

Meanwhile, Mark Oaten, the former home affairs spokesman whose challenge for the leadership came to an abrupt end after he admitted to 'despicable acts' with a male prostitute, gave his first public interview since the revelations.

Mr Oaten, MP for Winchester, told the Hampshire Chronicle that his priority was to rebuild his family. He added, however, that while he does not intend to return to frontbench politics, he was hopeful of staying on as an MP. Mr Oaten must face members of his constituency's Lib Dem executive committee tomorrow.

He told the newspaper: "I do have regrets and apologise about what has appeared in the media since and I’m very sorry for the things I’ve done wrong. I’ve got regrets, of course, about that."

He refused to comment on the success of his attempt to heal the domestic damage. His wife Belinda, 37, and their two young children left Britain for France as the revelations surfaced. He joined them a week ago, and has since not commented on any reconciliation with his wife of 13 years.

He said that he particularly regretted his attempts to present himself as a family man in the early days of his short-lived leadership bid. He said that from now on he wished to ensure that his private life remained private.

He said: "If I’ve learnt nothing else in the last 10 days, it’s that my personal life and my family life is the most important thing, and I regret not getting the balance right over the last four years as I should have from time to time."

Mr Kennedy - the first casualty of what the Lib Dems' will probably come to regard as their worst ever month - was similarly tight-lipped as he sought to bolster support for the party in next week's by-election in the seat of Dunfermline and West Fife.

Activists hope that Mr Kennedy’s personal popularity will boost the campaign of Willie Rennie, who insists he is now in a two-horse race with Labour’s Catherine Stihler MEP.

Mr Kennedy was in buoyant mood as he walked down the Dunfermline's main street surrounded by a scrum of photographers, reporters and camera crews. Looking clear-eyed and well after his spell out of the spotlight, he was asked: "Are you on the wagon?"

In an answer betraying more than a hint of bitterness at his treatment by the party, he replied: "I feel as fit and healthy now as when I handed over the leadership."

Asked whether he backed youth or experience in the leadership election, he replied with a non-committal: "Luckily, the leadership race has nothing to do with me."

Mr Kennedy popped into a branch of the British Heart Foundation and spent a few minutes in a butcher's shop, but gave a wide berth to off-licences and public houses lining the route.

Mr Rennie described Mr Kennedy as "a great campaigner", adding: "He is very popular and his visit will give us the boost we need to overtake Labour in the last few days of the campaign."

The contest follows the death last month of Labour MP Rachel Squire, who won a majority of more than 11,500 in last year’s General Election. Today the keenly fought contest also drew David Cameron, the Tory leader, Alex Salmond, the SNP leader, and Gordon Brown to the campaign trail .

Labour's campaign - which has focused on its local economic record - took an early blow yesterday, when printer firm Lexmark announced the closure of its factory with the loss of 700 jobs.

Meanwhile the contest for the Lib Dem leadership itself gathered momentum in London where Simon Hughes, the activists' favourite who has been trying to ride out controversy over his hidden homosexual past, launched an attack on acting leader Sir Menzies Campbell.

In an interview with the London Evening Standard he gave fuel to rumours that "Ming the merciless" had been involved in plots to unseat Mr Kennedy by highlighting the swift announcement of his candidacy as replacement.

"As soon as Charles went, Ming declared within minutes and clearly there was a campaign ready to take off," said Mr Hughes. "I had not anticipated Charles going, never wanted that to happen and had not made any preparations to stand. I had not been planning to stand against Charles."

Sir Menzies was in Brussels today to call for reform of the EU. In an address to Lib Dem MEPs, he said: "As party leader, I will be as much for the reform of the EU as I am for the EU itself. Liberal Democrats will "not (be) wreckers but we will be reformers".

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