Charles Kennedy RIP

complete shock. r i p.

Thoughts are with his wife and young son.

Sleep tight, Charles.

A nice man with demons

RIP

RIP, far too early to pass.

Was sad to hear about this. Always came across as intelligent, funny and a nice person, regardless of which party you support or your political views. RIP.

That rare thing, a likable politician.

DaveMehmet said:

Chizz said:

As the recipient of this letter wrote three years ago, Charles Kennedy seemed "a lovely man". Can't pay a better tribute to him than those three words.

RIP

You might want to blank out your address on the letter.

It's more than 11 years old and the recipient has moved at least once since then.

PragueAddick said:

Try to hear his speech at the anti Iraq war rally in 2003, which R4 Today programme played this morning. It's testimony to what we've lost. Gutted

RIP

This. So sad to have lost him at far too young an age. Genuine condolences to his family.

RIP.

Very sad news! RIP Charles

I think he was a genuine bloke with the strengths and flaws that brings. R.I.P.

RIP as a 57 year-old I must say way way way too young.

If he took his own life it is a real tragedy - he had a lot more to offer I feel, given how well respected he was.

55 is absolutely no age what so ever. my thoughts are with his family. In particular my thoughts go out to his young son who is only 9 or 10 years of ages. Still at school.

My cousins lost their father when they still children. My mum's sisters's husband was only 51. They had 3 children the oldest a girl and young 2 boys. She was 11, the middle child 8 and the youngest had only just turned 4 at the time. The older two are in their 30s and the youngest still his late 20s. But the youngest must only have hazy memories as he was so young at the time. It did affect them all badly as I'm sure you can understand. So I have had people close to me losing their father when they were still children.

I hope Charles's boy will have the fondest meories of his father.

Rest in peace to a decent polititian and gentleman who had a good personality.

Riviera said:

Very sad.

Some of the reactions to tragic events like this however do always remind me of this classic sketch............. (sorry about the subtitles)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T17VzztS60M

Yes I thought that some of the comments in the commons were calculated and hypocritical.

I am 56. I remember well his election at the tender age of 23. It caused a bit of a stir at the time. Here are some of his political highlights.

1. At 23 the youngest MP at the time
2. As an SDP MP he was the only MP who won a seat at a general election. All others were already MPs, either joining from other parties or won by elections.
3. He led the campaign against his party leader David Owen to merge the SDP and Liberal Parties
4. He took his party to the front of British Politics by opposing the Iraq War - against the Government and the Official Opposition.
5. In 2005 the Liberal Democrats won 62 seats - the highest ever for a third party since before WW2.
6. Lone in his party, he was the only MP who refused to vote for the Coalition Agreement.
7. He voted against the rise in tuition fees.

As we are a similar age, I have followed his career with great interest. He was one of those politicians - very rare - who was able to argue without rancour and see the others point of view whilst often taking a fundamentally different view.

Of course his career has been dominated by his battle with alcohol. In the end it defeated him.

I personally voted for him to become leader of the Liberal Democrats and in my view he could have been leader still but for his problems. He wouldn't have taken the party into the coalition in the way it was done - hugging the Tories like long lost chums. If a deal was to be done under his leadership I am certain it would have been on better terms and with a much less disastrous outcome.

I shall miss his wit and his wisdom.

RIP.