Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy has just admitted he has had treatment for alcoholism. 200 Iraquis have died in the last two days.

Why should Charles get all the headlines? The London media is now the equivalent of the village pump, a place to spread gossip and tittle tattle about one's friends and acquaintences. If our local newspaper gossiped about our local politicians to the exclusion of rows about parking in the High Street or local roadworks, what a fuss there would be.