Sadly, Charles Kennedy has passed away (Watt & Brooks, 2015). The former leader of the Liberal Democrats led the party through its most successful period - from 1999, when he was elected the successor to Paddy Ashdown, until 2006, when he was forced to stand down due to a struggle with alcoholism.
His most famous moment as Liberal Democrat leader was to lead his party in a principled and liberal stand against unilateral war and to decry the derogation of the role of the United Nations in settling international disputes. With these campaigns, and with a commitment to socially liberal and Left-leaning policies like the abolition of tuition fees (Wheeler, 2009), he slowly increased Liberal Democrat support amongst people who began to see the Lib Dems as having supplanted Labour's place on the Left (Watt, 2015).
His most famous moment as Liberal Democrat leader was to lead his party in a principled and liberal stand against unilateral war and to decry the derogation of the role of the United Nations in settling international disputes. With these campaigns, and with a commitment to socially liberal and Left-leaning policies like the abolition of tuition fees (Wheeler, 2009), he slowly increased Liberal Democrat support amongst people who began to see the Lib Dems as having supplanted Labour's place on the Left (Watt, 2015).
"He was a man who had even greater potential that will now forever remain unfulfilled and his loss will be felt deeply by all of us, particularly those who care about progressive values." (Gordon Brown)
Kennedy was an important voice for a progressive alternative, and led a party that, under his stewardship, was committed to justice, liberty and progress. His voice and presence on the political stage will be missed, not least by the campaign to keep Britain a part of the European Union - a movement of which he was a great advocate and leader.
At such a fractious time in the political history of Britain, it is well worth remembering some of the insight which Charles Kennedy brought to public life (2006):
At such a fractious time in the political history of Britain, it is well worth remembering some of the insight which Charles Kennedy brought to public life (2006):
"Fewer people are joining political parties, yet single-issue pressure groups continue to flourish. Mass international movements - from opposition to the war in Iraq to last year's Live 8 - demonstrate how great issues and principles can still motivate on a huge scale. But somehow our current political culture seems unable to accommodate and address such concerns...
...The danger in all of this is that if sufficient people conclude that there is nothing in the conventional political process for them then they may opt for more simplistic and extreme options on offer. I remain an optimist. But across the mainstream political spectrum there is a candid recognition of the danger."
References
Nicholas Watt & Libby Brooks' 'Charles Kennedy, former leader of Liberal Democrats, dies aged 55'; in The Guardian; 2 June 2015.
Nicholas Watt's 'Charles Kennedy made two momentous stands that resonate to this day'; in The Guardian; 2 June 2015.
Brian Wheeler's 'Kennedy warning over tuition fees'; on the BBC; 20 September 2009.
Jessica Elgot's 'Tributes to Charles Kennedy: 'his like will not be seen again''; in The Guardian; 2 June 2015.
Martin Kettle's 'Charles Kennedy, a truly authentic politician who rose above the crowd'; in The Guardian; 2 June 2015.
James Kirkup's 'Charles Kennedy was a weak and flawed man. Politics needs more like him'; in The Telegraph; 2 June 2015.
Charles Kennedy's 'How we lost people's trust'; in The Guardian; 4 August 2006.
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