A SENIOR Liberal Democrat MP has expressed fresh worries about Charles Kennedy, questioning whether he is fit to lead the party into the next election.

Alan Beith, the party’s former deputy leader, said that the political mood in the country was changing and the Liberal Democrats should not fall out of step with the country. His move comes after a petition calling for Mr Kennedy to step down immediately, which has collected more than 3,000 signatures, including those of two MPs and more than 100 councillors.

Mr Beith told the World At One on BBC Radio 4: “The new year will bring the opportunity to assess which way British politics is going, what the real impact of changes in the leadership of the two other parties might be, whether our own leader is really there and ready to take us through to the next election with the really considerable effort that’s going to be required.”

But on the same programme Mr Kennedy rebuffed the latest attempts to oust him, saying that he had received a large number of messages of support.

Asked why one in twelve local councillors was willing to sign up to the petition, he replied: “I would be very surprised if that were the case, let me put it no stronger than that. If these things can be verified, then frankly people can come on programmes and make all kinds of outrageous claims, particularly when they have no connection with the party.

“I don’t think I or the Liberal Democrats should be paying, any more attention to this than if it was coming from the Labour Party or the Conservatives as a criticism.”

He said that 90 per cent of messages that the Liberal Democrats had received on the subject were in support of him.

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