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
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.
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Let no-one be in any doubt - the Liberal Democrats are not about to cede our emphatic, sincere and long-standing green credentials for some spray on aerosol version.
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Some ministers are fond of talking about a return to Victorian values. We must realise that those Victorian values are being expressed by some of the younger people in this society in shameful and disturbing disregard for other members of their generation who are not as fortunate as they are in having a job.
votes
Fair votes - fundamentally - are about the rights and the interests of the people.
huge listened people time understand
People have a huge desire to be listened to, for politicians to take the time to understand their problems.
local older people
I know from my own parents how important active older people are to a local community.
attracted iraq principled stance taking
Taking a principled and consistent stance over Iraq has attracted much criticism from our detractors and opponents.
decisions divisive good however involves leadership people
Good political leadership for me involves getting the big decisions right - however difficult, however controversial, however potentially divisive - and then being able to take people with you.
cast education investment liberal vote
If you want more investment in education and pensions, cast a vote for the Liberal Democrats.
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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.
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.
either job painfully public
I think you've got to like people. There are MPs who are either painfully shy or who don't like public speaking or don't socialise very well, and you just think this must be the worst job in the world for them.
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.
continue
Professionally I would say taking up my constituents' problems is something I continue to enjoy after 22 years as an MP.