I should do something about the cigarettes; I quite accept that it's bad for your health, but you know a moderate tipple is positively beneficial and, at certain times, absolutely essential.

Politico's Publishing Ltd (18 September 2006) ISBN 1-84275-176-X. On 22 June 2006 Kennedy made his first appearance in the national media after stepping down when he appeared on the BBC's Question Time. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all.

Kennedy will play a prominent role in the cross-party Better Together campaign which is the pro-union campaign for the 2014 Scottish referendum on independence. However he faced criticism for his laid-back leadership style and there was considerable speculation regarding his alcohol consumption.