Danny Alexander has been writing about his memories of Charles Kennedy for the Spectator. His first experience of him was when he was a party press office and Charles was already an MP:

The first time I spoke to him was as a young press officer for the Scottish Lib Dems, nervously recommending that we cancel a press conference because the material was not quite ready. I expected the hairdryer treatment, but he was pleased. ‘When you have nothing to say,’ he replied, ‘best say nothing at all.’ He followed his own advice — which meant that, as party leader, he did not imitate the frenetic pace of Paddy Ashdown. This earned him criticism, but his style was to pick battles carefully, and fight them well.

He supported Danny in his campaign to become an MP in 2005:

When I was selected to contest the Highland constituency next to his, then held by Labour, I expected to see little of him. I was wrong. He gave ample and generous support, letting me sit in at his constituency surgeries to better understand how Parliament works — or, more accurately, how it should work. He taught me that politicians should never lose sight of who they’re working for.

Danny talks about Charles’ Highland crofting mindset:

Charles was a Highlander to his core. He died on the croft he loved, which is significant because a croft is not just another building. It represents a way of life. Charles possessed, to the full, the crofter’s independence of mind, sense of place and of community, as well as an open-hearted view of the world.

He is clear that Charles found the coalition years and some of its policy decisions very difficult – but that didn’t affect the relationship he had with Danny. Their last meeting was at the Count in Dingwall and Danny wrote that Charles was ready to fight for Britain’s place in the EU.

You can read the whole article here.

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