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RIP Charles Kennedy

steewith2ees

steewith2ees

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I know weve all fallen out with the Lib Dems, but for most of my life they were my natural party of choice with Ashdown, Kennedy and Campbell the only front bench spokesman that genuinely spoke to the left, with Kennedy responsible for the best electoral return the Libs ever had in 2005, 62 seats. He also took the party back to the left, abandoning the fragile alliance that they had with the Labour Party who repositioned themselves as centrist to gain and retain power.

We all know that Kennedy had his demons and his struggle with alcohol was possibly the main reason for his resignation of the leadership. He was unique among politicians, a real human being who never tried to hide his weaknessess. His lovely nature and popularity with his constituents was born out by the fact that he kept his seat for 32 years, only losing it to the SNP in the Lib Dems recent collapse in last months election. Even despite this his enthusiasm for politics never wavered as he looked forward to fully engaging in the upcoming EU referendum.

The man was only 55, and died surrounded by his wife and children. rip xxx
 
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yeah RIP, a great guy, just about the only MP who didnt fiddle his expenses, and got a standing ovation iirc on HIGNFY for his great belief in his principles, the courage of his convictions, and his great honesty and integrity in everything he did. Rare qualities in humans in general, but practically unheard of amongst politicians over the course of my lifetime. 55 FFS, it seems to be an unwritten rule that the most likeable people die earlier in this life. Theres been so many instances on here, and in public life. I wonder why the hell this is.
 
I thought he died alone and the new partner found him the day after?

Did seem like a nice guy but I saw him on question time in march and he didn't look long for this world. Pissed out of his head. Whoever let him on in that state should have a word with themselves.
 
Former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy died of a major haemorrhage linked to alcoholism, his family have said.

Mr Kennedy, who led the party between 1999 and 2006, died at his home in Fort William on Monday aged 55.

Following a post-mortem examination, his family issued a statement saying his unexpected death was "a consequence of his battle with alcoholism".
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Scot nats were tormenting him - turning his bins over, calling him a "traitor" and a "drunken embarrasment". Cunts.

One fucking SNP cockwomble on twitter was insulting him for weeks and then after he died tweeted "Oh dear. I suppose I'm meant to feel guilty now. Well fuck you I don't.
 
Or...you could say the Lib Dems, rather than hold the Tories back, facilitated their majority.

The Tories had no right to rule. They had no majority. It was only WITH the LD help that they got any legislation passed.

They didn't hold them back. They helped them get where they are today.
 
I've got no time for liberal democrats, cos of the murky history of the sdp and how they ganged up with the anglo american establishment to deny the left a voice and, ironically, to help kill off social democracy in britain. Charlie kennedy seemed alright as a bloke though (gregarious/epicurean(/=pisshead), and his stand against the iraq war was laudable, for which he eventually paid with his career (should count himself lucky he didn't get kelly'd or cook'd (or maybe he did...)) (lets not talk about his record on supporting israel though...(no it was shit)). Unfortunately, lots/most of the 'important' dimlebs aren't on the same ethical level of even flawed charlie - the 'orange book' lib dems like nick legg and danny 'beaker from the muppets' alexander are actual tories and they don't even hide it. Nick legg started his political career working under leon 'definitely not a paedo' brittan in europe (Brittan: "your mission clagg, should you choose to accept it (after you've procured today's quota of vulnerable children of course), is to join the party we previously set up to infiltrate and break apart labour, and infiltrate it and break it apart, until only a neoliberal husk remains. It's that or turn labour into a thatcherite party (but we've got that nice anthony blair lined up for that one...)"

Craig Murray's obit of him: https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/06/charlie-kennedy/

I have known Charlie since about 1979. He was, and always remained, a brilliant, witty and very gentle man. His weaknesses were of the gregarious kind, one of many things we had in common. We first met on the universities debating circuit and in student politics. He became President of Glasgow University Union and I of Dundee University Students Association. As we both ran as Liberal Democrats that was uncommon. By one of life’s quirks, a generation later he was Rector of Glasgow University and I was Rector of Dundee University. We both shared a horror of the marketization of universities and an urgent desire to return to the old Scottish tradition of democratic governance, and we worked together with other Rectors to institute regular Rectors’ meetings and try to make the office of Rector relevant.

Charlie had come under the most enormous pressure not to oppose the Iraq war. The entire force of the British establishment bore down on him, including from former party leaders and from Ming Campbell, though he denies it now. Charlie showed tremendous courage and spirit in resisting the pressures to which almost everybody in authority in the Westminster power structure caved in.

Charlie told me the story of how, as party leader, he was invited by Blair to Downing Street to be shown the original key evidence on Iraqi WMD. Charlie was really worried as he walked there, that there really would be compelling evidence as Blair said, and he would then be unable to maintain the party line against the war. When he saw the actual intelligence on which the dodgy dossier was based, he was astounded. It was incredibly weak and “totally unconvincing”. Blair was not present while Charlie saw the reports, but he saw him afterwards and told Blair he was quite astonished by the paucity of the evidence. Blair went white and looked really rattled, and resorted to a plea for patriotic solidarity. He then reminded Charlie he was not allowed to reveal what he had seen. Charlie felt bound by good faith – he had been shown the intelligence in confidence – not to publish this. Not I think his best moral judgement.

Charlie was very definitely not an enthusiastic supporter of the coalition and, though a federalist not a nationalist, generally kept his distance from the Better Together campaign. He seemed to me to have lost self-confidence through the exposure of his struggles with alcohol, and probably underrated his influence. Charlie was consistent in both his faults and his principles. As President of Glasgow University Union, he was inclined to hands off sybaritism; his expenses and use of taxis became an issue, and that epicurean streak never left him. In his presence I always felt an inferior talent, and those of us who knew him 35 years ago I think all expected him to rise even higher than he did. But he never had the sociopathic streak that makes a dominant political career, and he was at base a very decent and kind man. That is how I shall remember him.
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