It’s four years today since we lost Charles Kennedy who died at the heartbreakingly young age of 55.
We miss his wit and wisdom so much.
It says so much about him that during the horrible atmosphere of the 2014 independence referendum in Scotland, he was respected by both sides. We can only wonder what impact he would have made on the EU referendum.
He had the courage to do what was right – leading the opposition to the Iraq war in 2003, even when he was vilified in the Commons for doing so.
Just as the polls closed on EU Election day last week, Christine Jardine played Darren Martin’s tweet below to the assembled team in Edinburgh West.
There weren’t very many dry eyes.
#ThrowbackThursday for everyone voting in the #EUelections2019 today.
The @LibDems 🔶 have been fighting for Britain’s place in Europe since the 50’s
Here’s the late Great Charlie Kennedy- pic.twitter.com/k4YZkxvS5b— Darren Martin (@Hackney__Darren) May 23, 2019
We’ll always feel Charles’ loss, but we should always ask ourselves what he would do when faced with a dilemma.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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7 Comments
Latest Opinium Poll has us in 4th place with 16% and Greens on 11%. Actually given that Opinium usually has us doiwn at 6 -8%, last poll before Euros 12%, then 16% is good.-They were of course well out with their Euro Poll assessment.
I have supported the LibDem’s for many years. I took part in fund raisers with Ed Davy and his friends John &Vicki. I even help Ed Davy in the hustings when he was elected an MP for the first time.
I voted LibDem in the resent European election.
However, I no longer have faith in the English political system. The shameful behaviour of both the conservative and labour parties has brought this country to its knees.
The electorate is frustrated and polarized, unable make up their minds about the future.
The LibDems must embark on a huge publicity campaign to get its voice heard above all the pessimistic doom and gloom reports the media is spouting out every day.
Come on LibDems, get up and fight
Totally loved Charles Kennedy! I even traded my vote with my Labour-voting cousin in his constituency! We failed in both areas at that time – the other area being Carmarthenshire West & South Pembrokeshire! What a wonderful, but man … GIVES HOPE TO ALL OF US WHO ARE FLAWED!
Of course Charles also led resistance to the wills of a couple of Party leaders. He was right about Paddy’s aims for a very close relationship with Blair’s Labour Party where he led the challenge on the Federal Executive, and also with Clegg’s affinity with Cameron and Osborne in which he was defiant and I think disgusted.
Bill – I don’t think you can really say that Charles ‘led resistance’ to Paddy’s plans for closer links with Blair. He very much flew under the radar on that one and (eg) voted in favour of the joint statement when the Parliamentary Party discussed it and doesn’t get a mention as one of the opponenents when that came to the FE.
He was so muted in his open opposition that I had him 5th on my preferences in the 99 election.
What’s all this stuff about who was most against Paddy’s efforts to seek an alliance with Tony Blair? If Paddy had pulled this off centre left government would have ruled for a long time to come. Tory government could have been banished. Paddy’ s only error was to carry on banging his head on a brick wall too long after it was obvious that Blair’s landslide in 1997 had killed the idea.
@David Wood: Join us! Don’t stand on the sidelines telling us to fight. Thankyou for giving us your votes, but if you care so deeply about it all and you think the LibDems could be the answer, join us now and be part of the fight. http://www.libdems.org