Kennedy threatens MPs who brief against leadership

The Liberal Democrat leader is said to be furious about rumours circulating that his leadership has been flagging and that he has been suffering from renewed health problems.

At a meeting of Liberal Democrat MPs on Wednesday night, Mr Kennedy suggested that any frontbencher found to be deliberately destabilising his leadership would be sacked.

Critics believe he has failed to bounce back from the gruelling general election campaign and fear he may have lost the determination to score points against Tony Blair.

He has been under pressure from senior members of his own party to raise his game, following a disappointing general election result when the Liberal Democrats failed to capture key target Tory seats.

There is serious concern that the Liberal Democrats have failed to capitalise on Conservative infighting following the decision of Michael Howard to stand down as Tory leader. But some MPs said they were "baffled" by Mr Kennedy's sudden warning, and "didn't know what rumours he was talking about".

Amid a "fractious" atmosphere in the Liberal Democrat parliamentary party, some MPs are privately urging the party leadership to do more to boost its profile over the summer. But they say they are baffled about rumours about Mr Kennedy's health.

One said Mr Kennedy must raise his game or "the party will find itself with another missed opportunity".

Mr Kennedy has achieved consistently high opinion-poll ratings and is well liked by his MPs and staff. But some MPs say the party is in an "unforgiving" mood and will expect him to up the ante this summer and at the conference in the autumn.

Another MP said Mr Kennedy's intervention was "what was needed", adding: "We need to see more fire from him.". Mr Kennedy's allies are furious at what they see as a campaign to destabilise him by a few MPs. They say the mumblings were a perennial summer problem and were without any foundation.

Mr Kennedy's spokesman said: "I don't accept there is a huge problem within the parliamentary party. I really don't."

The shaky confidence in "the leadership" was demonstrated two weeks ago when Liberal Democrat MPs deposed Matthew Taylor, a loyal ally of Mr Kennedy, as chairman of the parliamentary party, and elected Paul Holmes, a backbencher.

That surprise vote was widely seen as a warning to the Liberal Democrat leadership amid signs that an increasingly powerful phalanx of backbenchers is prepared to flex its muscles.

One MP said the new intake of MPs, who include former Liberal Democrat staff, are more demanding of Mr Kennedy than MPs who have served in Parliament for some time.Several are believed to be harbouring leadership ambitions, including Simon Hughes, who lost to Charles Kennedy as leader six years ago.