Charles Kennedy has bowed to the inevitable. He finally recognised that he could not continue as leader of the Liberal Democrats as his parliamentary colleagues indulged in open rebellion.

It seems indulgent to praise his bravery in making Thursday’s confession about his drinking problems when it was forced by imminent media exposure.  But it would take a heart of stone not to acknowledge how painful it must have been for him to speak out.

It’s hard to have any sympathy, however, for his colleagues. Their performance over the last few weeks has been contemptible. They didn’t have the guts to force the issue. Instead, they wrote letters they didn’t dare send, and whispered to journalists in the bars around Westminster. Heaven help us if they ever get a whiff of real power.

Time will tell how much damage the Liberal Democrats have sufferered because of the anti-Kennedy putsch. But voters hate parties in turmoil, as Labour and the Tories have discovered to their cost over the last 25 years. The Lib Dems are about to learn the lesson themselves.