in reference to the question of Kennedy's leadership were: 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 then 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 said 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 said Kennedy's position was 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". International Development spokesperson, and former Parliamentary Private Secretary to Charles Kennedy, Andrew George declared that he would resign from the Liberal Democrat frontbench on Monday 9 January if Kennedy was still leader. Trade spokesperson Norman Lamb, who also previously served as Kennedy's PPS, declared his intention to similarly resign. Both were signatories to the letter expressing no confidence. According to the BBC, Phil Willis MP said 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 reported that over twenty Liberal Democrat frontbenchers were threatening resignation if Kennedy does not go, and some other MPs were declaring that they would refuse to fill any vacancies created. Matthew Taylor, a close friend of Kennedy's who ran his successful leadership campaign in the 1999 leadership election, tells BBC News 24 that he feels it was essential for both Kennedy personally and the party that he step down from the leadership. The Liberal Democrat peer and MEP, Baroness Nicholson, also urged Mr Kennedy to resign, saying that he needed to concentrate on his fight against his drink problem. Howard Sykes, of the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors, came out in support of Kennedy saying grassroots activists would back him and that he was surprised that MPs were not prepared to do the same At 18:25, Ed Davey and Sarah Teather were at the head of twenty-five Liberal Democrat MPs, including nineteen members of the frontbench, issuing a joint statement declaring that they could no longer support Kennedy's leadership and serve under him. They called on Kennedy to resign over the weekend.