The Voice

Times obituary of Anna Werrin

By | Wed 6th January 2010 - 7:30 pm

We reported last month the sad death of Anna Werrin, the highly influential personal assistant to Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy throughout his Parliamentary career until his resignation as party leader.

Today’s Times publishes an obituary of Anna in its Lives in Brief section:

Anna Werrin, personal assistant to Charles Kennedy, was born on June 14, 1959. She died after a stroke on December 18, 2009, aged 50

Anna Werrin was the personal assistant to Charles Kennedy, and throughout his leadership of the Liberal Democrats she was his principal aide, head of office and, effectively, his gatekeeper — and as such she fully earned a reputation in Westminster for being “redoubtable”.

Anna Werrin was born in Plymouth in 1959. She went to work for Kennedy from shortly after his election as an MP at the age of 23, when she had recently completed a degree in politics and sociology at Brunel University.

Just how important her role was became apparent after Kennedy stepped down. She revealed the leading role she played in fundraising for the party, representing the leader at fundraising events, liaising for him with key donors, and managing the leader’s relationship with key party management committees, including “assisting with the election of individuals to key posts”.

Among the tricky issues with which she was closely involved were vetting donations to the party and putting up a protective shield whenever Kennedy drank too much.

After Kennedy stood down Werrin undertook consultancy work for the BBC’s licence fee campaign and for the Liberal Democrat peer, Lord Razzall. She was campaign manager for Chris Huhne’s failed leadership bid in 2007.

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This entry was posted in Obituaries.
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