Charles Kennedy
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedywas a British Liberal Democrat politician, who was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to 2006 and a Member of Parliamentfrom 1983 to 2015, latterly for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth25 November 1959
course issues last opposition period themselves
Over the course of the last parliament, as a party, we have been the real opposition over the big issues of the day ... and the Conservatives over that period have themselves flip-flopped on so many of those matters,
fought labour
Labour politicians for generations have fought to bring democracy to the House of Lords.
clear families government owe parliament people position quite reassure safe strategy terms thinking
I think we owe it really to those forces, and to their families back home, to make quite clear what the position is and to reassure people by making quite clear that the government and parliament are thinking in terms of a safe homeward strategy for the forces.
doubt europe extent generally leave opportunity president public
I think we should use the opportunity to leave the president in no doubt as to the extent of public concern, not just in our country, but in Europe generally about the way in which events, tragically, have unfolded,
best former seen subject
I think that former leaders are best seen occasionally and not too often heard - particularly on the subject of their successors!
elected front locally means power public teachers
When it comes to our public services, decentralisation means giving power back to those on the front line - our doctors, nurses, teachers and physiotherapists, and our locally elected officials.
faith lords politics reform restore vital
We must restore faith in politics. Reform of the House of Lords is only one part of the answer, but it is a vital one.
assumption people revise
We'll need to revise the tired assumption that people automatically become more conservative as they grow older.
brought home less people practical relevant
We need less theoretical debate and more practical application and acknowledgment of what Europe can and does do so that it is brought home to people in a relevant way.
decade fantastic party shown
It has been a fantastic victory. We have shown we are the party of the future. This decade can see us as part of the governments of our country.
democrats effective job
It's our job as Liberal Democrats to be an effective opposition - and an increasingly tough one as well.
concerns efforts everybody half reached reflect second
I want our party to step up its efforts to reflect and champion the concerns of everybody who has reached the second half of their lives.
attracted iraq principled stance taking
Taking a principled and consistent stance over Iraq has attracted much criticism from our detractors and opponents.
elsewhere faced lack move people perennial scottish talented time
A perennial problem that has faced the Scottish Highlands is that, time and again, too many of the more talented young people have had to move elsewhere - even abroad - through a lack of opportunities that should have been available.