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
sensible
Ours is a stable country. Ours is a sensible country. And ours is a fundamentally decent country.
thinking sensible
Actually, I think it's quite sensible not to take yourself too seriously.
depth hostility incumbent knocking local margaret minister particular second sheer struck tories towards
When I started knocking on Highland doors in May 1983, two things struck me more than any other. First was the sheer depth of hostility towards the Tories in general. Second was the particular hostility towards Margaret Thatcher and her local ministerial spear-carrier, energy minister and incumbent MP of 13 years' standing, Hamish Gray.
aftermath coalition fragment remarkable strike unilateral
It would be a tragedy if the remarkable international coalition against terrorism, successfully marshalled in the aftermath of 11 September, were to fragment over a unilateral U.S. strike against Baghdad.
context european imposition mean
'Federalism', in the context of political and media usage in Britain, has come to mean the creation and imposition of a European superstate, one centralised in Brussels.
public
Public perception of the Westminster arena, with all its posturings, does little to engender a sense of voter belief.
continue
Professionally I would say taking up my constituents' problems is something I continue to enjoy after 22 years as an MP.
huge listened people time understand
People have a huge desire to be listened to, for politicians to take the time to understand their problems.
affordable britain clear government programme vibrant
We want a strong, vibrant economy for Britain so that we can set out a clear and affordable alternative programme for government.
britain cannot change cooperation depend european politics power security wealth
Britain is a European power. We cannot change our geography. Our involvement in the politics of European cooperation is one of necessity. Our wealth and our security depend upon it.
assumption basic everyday lead liberty lives seeks smash terrorist
The terrorist seeks to smash the most fundamental liberty of all: the right to lead our everyday lives on the basic assumption of safety.
contained eventual general tory
That 1983 general election contained the telltale seeds of eventual Scottish Tory self-destruction.
argued gravity inverse soon
Soon after the 1997 election, I argued that there was no inverse law of political gravity which said that everything which went down had to come back up.
discovered given history people politics puzzled south spread strong voters war wings
As I spread my wings in politics, I discovered many Thatcher voters down south who were the same kind of people who loathed her in Scotland. They were puzzled by the Scots' antipathy, given the Falklands war and the strong militaristic history of the Highlands and elsewhere.