Charles Peter Kennedy (25 November 1959 – 1 June 2015)
June 2, 2015 6:09 AM   Subscribe

Charles Kennedy, the former leader of the Liberal-Democrats, dies aged 55, one month after he lost his seat in the 2015 UK general elections. The police are treating his death as not suspicious.

From the Guardian's report on his death:
Kennedy became the youngest sitting MP when he was elected to the constituency of Ross, Cromarty and Skye for the Social Democratic party (SDP) at the age of 23 in 1983, the first general election it fought in alliance with the Liberals. He was elected leader of their successor party, the Liberal Democrats, in 1999, and led the party to its greatest electoral success, winning 62 seats in the 2005 election. But he was pushed out as party leader in 2006 after he confirmed that he had received treatment for alcoholism.
Of the three major party leaders, Charles Kennedy was the only one to lead his party into voting against the War on Iraq:
The case has not yet been made for military action. The evidence has not been clearly assembled. Public opinion in this country is profoundly opposed to unilateral action by US and British forces without a UN mandate and without clear evidence of the need for war. This is a moral as well as political dilemma, and there may well be circumstances in which British troops should not go to war; in which case we should be prepared to part company with the US.
This stance would give the LibDems a massive standing as principled oppostion during the New Labour era, culminating in their best ever performance in the 2005 UK general election, which was partially fought about Britain's role in fighting the War on Iraq.

In 2010 he also argued against the Lib Dems entering into a coalition with the Tories:
With uncharacteristic understatement, Paddy Ashdown described last week's events as "a rather unexpected moment". Certainly, they drive a strategic coach and horses through the long-nurtured "realignment of the centre-left" to which leaders in the Liberal tradition, this one included, have all subscribed since the Jo Grimond era. It is hardly surprising that, for some of us at least, our political compass currently feels confused. And that really encapsulates the reasons why I felt personally unable to vote for this outcome when it was presented to Liberal Democrat parliamentarians.
By then however he was no longer party leader, health troubles and problems with alcoholism leading him to step down after he could no longer draw on the support of his colleagues in 2006.

Outside of politics he was a regular guest on various chat shows, which earned him the nickname Chatshow Charlie, not a nickname he liked very much. He often appeared on the political satire Have I Got News for You, frex holding his own against Jeremy Clarkson or telling Glaswegian jokes.

A condoleance register is open on the Lib Dem website.
posted by MartinWisse (37 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
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posted by Pendragon at 6:17 AM on June 2, 2015



posted by pharm at 6:22 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


Never did a man have more right to say “I told you so” — RIP Charles.
posted by pharm at 6:25 AM on June 2, 2015 [3 favorites]


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posted by Flitcraft at 6:26 AM on June 2, 2015


Same age as John Smith. Likewise, had Kennedy kept on as leader in 2006 politics in the UK may have been rather different. I voted for the Liberal Democrats under him, and am heartened that he stood against both the Iraq War and the Coalition.
posted by Thing at 6:26 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]




Charles Kennedy was right about almost everything Yeah, he always seemed to the left of his party (and the Labour Party at times) and he took it to the best election result in living memory (and look what happened to it after he left)

Charles Kennedy – a lovely man, a talented politician, a great friend with a shared enemy A pretty heartfelt tribute from Alistair Campbell.

Alex Massie in the Spectator gives a even-handed treatment, touching on his problems with alcohol.

I have to admit he looked pretty unwell in BBC documentary about Westminster, Inside the Commons, earlier this year and the few times I saw him over the election.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 6:38 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]




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posted by Devonian at 6:44 AM on June 2, 2015


I have to admit he looked pretty unwell in BBC documentary about Westminster, Inside the Commons, earlier this year and the few times I saw him over the election.

His father died shortly before the election, which I'm sure can't have helped a man struggling with alcoholism and his health. It's a great tragedy as he was genuinely decent, sharp-witted and humane, and never seemed to lose his soul to the machinery of politics. RIP.
posted by sobarel at 6:56 AM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]


There is no place in modern politics for a man who is not conventionally attractive and stands by his moral convictions.

More's the pity.

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posted by asok at 6:56 AM on June 2, 2015


Was greatly saddened when I heard this on the radio this morning. With politics dominated now by politicians who are practically carbon copies of each other, regardless of party (and I say that as a Labour member) I thought his unseating was a real shame - and his death even more so.

That Alastair Campbell piece really nails in a nutshell what I thought of him:

He spoke fluent human, because he had humanity in every vein and every cell.
posted by garius at 7:02 AM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]


"Paddy Ashdown is the only party leader who’s a trained killer. Although, to be fair, Mrs Thatcher was self-taught."

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posted by rhamphorhynchus at 7:08 AM on June 2, 2015 [10 favorites]


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posted by crocomancer at 7:37 AM on June 2, 2015


A good man gone too soon. R.I.P.
posted by On the Corner at 8:27 AM on June 2, 2015


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posted by billiebee at 8:36 AM on June 2, 2015


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posted by motty at 8:40 AM on June 2, 2015


I'm not a Liberal, but my heart dropped when I heard the news on waking this morning.

A genuinely nice guy.

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posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 9:04 AM on June 2, 2015


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posted by lalochezia at 9:18 AM on June 2, 2015


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posted by Braeburn at 9:30 AM on June 2, 2015


A terrible loss.

Integrity, decency, passion. How many of the politicians that we have left can that be said of?
posted by veedubya at 10:03 AM on June 2, 2015


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posted by YAMWAK at 10:12 AM on June 2, 2015


[X]
posted by MattWPBS at 10:26 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


it's a bit strange to highlight in the post that the police say his death wasn't suspicious

It's code, usually for suicide, though no one seems to have confirmed it yet.
posted by Popular Ethics at 10:27 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


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posted by along came the crocodile at 10:37 AM on June 2, 2015


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posted by my-username at 10:37 AM on June 2, 2015


From a Facebook friend of mine who occasionally had work-based dealings with him:
"There was also one memorable occasion where he helped carry tea and coffee into a meeting because the tray was heavy. Wasn't asked, just did."
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:29 PM on June 2, 2015


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posted by NailsTheCat at 12:32 PM on June 2, 2015


Popular Ethics: "It's code, usually for suicide"

No it's not— it's just code for 'Nothing suspicious here, but we can't say more until we have the coroners full report'.
posted by Static Vagabond at 12:41 PM on June 2, 2015


Steve Bell's cartoon in the Guardian is nothing short of beautiful.
posted by popcassady at 12:58 PM on June 2, 2015 [5 favorites]


I was shocked when I saw news of his death on Twitter last night as I was crawling into bed. I was worried during his last appearance on Question Time where he was most likely drunk. He always seemed a decent fellow but he really needs to be remembered (and lauded) for being one of the major voices against Iraq in 2003.

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posted by kendrak at 1:22 PM on June 2, 2015


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posted by terretu at 2:00 PM on June 2, 2015


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posted by the quidnunc kid at 2:28 PM on June 2, 2015


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posted by sarcas at 3:21 PM on June 2, 2015


FT and Guardian both saying it was a heart attack.
posted by Devonian at 3:22 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


A great and genuine politician. What a terrible loss. RIP.
posted by comealongpole at 3:44 PM on June 2, 2015




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