Charles Kennedy RIP

It is sad when anyone dies (take Tanith Lee's recent demise for example), but I cannot see what warning you are alluding to.

He was the initial reason I became an LD supporter. He had a clarity and a passion that seemed not to be contaminated by political double speak all the time.

Sadly he was also ill, and that clearly impaired his last years of leadership and I assume has lead to a very early demise.

Bruce

That is sad news for all sorts of reasons.

RIP.

......that he had little occupation outside politics as i  understand it (and all credit to him for that). I am not alluding to anything! But his life appears to have been so focused on his political life. He was a very committed politician by all accounts and as we now have several new young MPs I hope they are getting support both now and later.

Whatever demons he was fighting in his private life he was always a man who fought for what he believed in and had the respect of his peers and supporters. 

R.I.P.

RIP - his stance on Iraq has been shown over time to be correct; he has my respect for that reason.  

A brilliant mind, a great politician but more importantly a fine human being.  R.I.P. Charles.

Still coming to terms with the death of a good man.

I actually interviewed him many years ago (before he became Lib Dem leader) and he was actually a very interesting fellow. His big passion outside politics was David Bowie, and we nattered for quite a long time about The Dame - sounds like he had quite a collection and he was very knowledgeable.

And of course his principled stands on both Blair's folly in Iraq and getting into bed with the Tories have been proven both prescient and entirely laudable.

He was only 55 years old when he died.  Death was in a way related to alcoholism, but at the end of the day some are lucky like Churchill and some are not.  I am older than Charles Kennedy and I feel lucky to be alive, I am passionate about music and obsessed about best HiFi (for a reasonable price) but nothing compares to ones health when considering trivial hobbies. 

I had the great pleasure of socme shared banter as we both stared at the wall at adjacent urinals once.

A very wise and witty man.

G

Yes G, but what we all want to know is... was he bigger than you?

You might think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

G

Of little consequence but I held him in very high regard and watched with a degree of sadness his rather public demise.  Must have been awful and no doubt fuelled by the curse of alcohol.

Probably not a sound basis to judge your politicians but I found the BBC Question Time stage a sound test of character and CK was one of the few politicians who could guarantee my backside planted in front of the goggle box. He was a tremendous communicator and managed the art of engaging on many levels.  There seem less and less people of this calibre in the public arena and I for one will sadly miss him.

Peter