Reply With QuoteVery sad, a great politician with a wonderful dry sense of humour. Thoughts with his family
Charles Kennedy
RIP.
Very sad, a great politician with a wonderful dry sense of humour. Thoughts with his family
Quite a shock this morning, no age at all !
Cheers
Simon
Ralph Waldo Emerson: We ask for long life, but 'tis deep life, or noble moments that signify. Let the measure of time be spiritual, not mechanical.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/politi...s-Fort-William
… sad reading
dunk
The Kennedy's have had such bad luck over the years.
Back in the day when i met JFK and Bobby, they singlehandedly made me stay in University. I wouldn't be the man i am today without them.
RIP Carol Kennedy
Last edited by studly; 2nd June 2015 at 08:01.
What a shame, bright, engaging and funny (on have I got news for you)
Clearly he had issues though...
Very sad for his family especially his wife and son.
However, despite becoming a career politician at 23 and being an MP for 32 years (whilst fully enjoying his "fame and power", to the point of excess). He will be remember for a) having to stand down as Leader of his party because we was a alcoholic, b) his humor and "gaiety" on Have I got News for you, c) his opposition to the Iraq invasion - along with the vast majority of the population of the UK. Not much of an epitaph for 32 years of Public service.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the good people of his constituency decided not to vote for him this time round - perhaps they wanted better.
What will make this even sadder if it transpires that he committed suicide - especially for his son. Particularly cruel.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Very sad a talented man who fought hard with his own demons as many others have. RIP.
A colleague and his son both worked for Charles Kennedy.
He got the bad news early this morning from Fort William.
Very somber start to the day.
Charles had lost his father before the election, and this was followed by the terrible results across Scotland for the Liberal Democrats. He had foreseen this, entering the coalition with the Conservatives.
I don't think many up here had expected the SNP to gain quite what they did.
Like all of us, Charles had his faults, but to lose someone at 55 in this day and age is a terrible shame.
That's more than a little uncharitable.Originally Posted by Andyg
Charles Kennedy was my MP as I grew up. He was a great help to my mother both professionally and personally.
I interviewed him as a 14 year old kid for the school newspaper with cutting questions like "what's your favourite food?" He was very kind and steered the interview in a direction that made my final write up look rather credible.
As a politician, he had electoral success that no other LibDem is going to see in a generation.
In the last general election he was collateral damage. With the double whammy of the disastrous coalition and the pro-union parties teaming up with the conservatives for the referendum he was always going to lose. He of course knew this and warned of the outcome, but those that stabbed him in the back in 2006 went power crazy again and killed the party.
Very sad, reminds me of John Smith, another MP who died far too young.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Very, very sad. I used to vote LIb Dem, until Clegg became leader. I actually like Kennedy. RIP and condolences to his family.
I struggle to think of much that MOST politicians are 'remembered' for (aside from wiping out industries, lining the pockets of greedy chronies or sending people to die in pointless wars - Choose your colour of party for all of those...).
Clearly the Liberals were annihilated this time round for choosing the 'wrong' party to align with (I suspect, in the eyes of most Liberal voters, who lean more to the left than the right) and in Scotland (like Labour) due to the popularity of the SNP.
It seems pretty unlikely that his constituents voted on personal issues, but on national ones.
Sad anyway, as my wife commented he seemed one of the few politicians with a grasp on reality, for all his demons...
M
Very sad.
I know that many in the Western Isles felt before the election that they had been let down on many issues pertinent to them (transport, communication, land ownership), but he was generally still well-liked as a person.
RIP threads on TZ (even a stealthy one like this) are traditionally not the place to criticize the deceased. Indeed, G&D is no place for politics.
RIP Charles.
I disagree strongly that people in his constituency voted against the man that was Charles Kennedy, they voted on national issues.
Irrespective of your political beliefs, he injected some much needed humor and personality into politics.
I liked him very much and he was one of the few politicians I had any respect for.
RIP
Eric Pickles gets a knighthood and Charles Kennedy loses his life... talk about injustice!
RIP
Very much agreed. Neither the time nor the place.
RIP Charles
He seemed to be one of the more 'human' politicians, of which there are very few. His demons may have given him an insight into the struggles many people, who aren't from the privileged classes that most politicians cater to, face day to day, and thus made him more likeable to many.
+1
It's a very young age to die. The bad feeling it leaves behind was much soured by the even worse taste left in the mouth by Alec Salmond, who immediately sought to make political capital out of Kennedy's death.
This isn't a barb aimed at Salmond's politics, but at his character.
Very sad news, RIP Charles . One of the good guys.
Thats a fair point for which I apologise.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
+1
Good man!
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Sad news indeed. He came across as a thoroughly decent and principled man, rare for a politician. Such a shame he couldn't overcome his demons. I hope he can now RIP.
RIP indeed. I really enjoyed Alastair Campbell's eulogy this morning (especially the pool/snooker comment)- not an obvious friendship but I suppose there are parallels. We're all flawed and the loss of both parents and job within a very short period of time would knock the stuffing out of most. It just calls for a bit of Christian charity...
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
Is there any need for that kind of post? Absolutely pathetic.
Kingsteeper has already pointed this out and as you will see, if you read the thread, I have already apologised. Which you clearly missed or chose to ignore.
But what I find it interesting is that you, Tony and Dr F all felt it necessary to criticise me, rather than post their own condolences. Priorities I suppose!
Xx
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
This is delightful.
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