Charles Kennedy, erstwhile Lib Dem leader and party grandee, has categorically dismissed speculation of an impending defection to the Labour Party. In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, he branded the rumours “absolute rubbish”, adding, “I will go out of this world with my Lib Dem membership card in my pocket”. Chatter had been brewing that the former leader was considering crossing the house after he was “unable to vote” in favour of the Coalition Deal in May, but it was not until this weekend that the rumour mill descended into full swing around a possible move. 

Labour hopeful Ed Miliband yesterday lent some credibility to the whispers, saying, “there are a lot of Lib Dems who are very unhappy over the direction of this government…and my message to them is that I want Labour to be your home, I want you to come over to us and the door is open”, though he denied being in personal contact with the former Lib Dem leader. 

Meanwhile Nick Clegg, the beleaguered current Lib Dem leader, summed up the episode by saying, “I can’t do better than say what Charles has said which is that it’s the silliest of the the silly season stories”.