I have known Charlie since about 1979. He was, and always remained, a brilliant, witty and very gentle man. His weaknesses were of the gregarious kind, one of many things we had in common. We first met on the universities debating circuit and in student politics. He became President of Glasgow University Union and I of Dundee University Students Association. As we both ran as Liberal Democrats that was uncommon. By one of life’s quirks, a generation later he was Rector of Glasgow University and I was Rector of Dundee University. We both shared a horror of the marketization of universities and an urgent desire to return to the old Scottish tradition of democratic governance, and we worked together with other Rectors to institute regular Rectors’ meetings and try to make the office of Rector relevant.
Charlie had come under the most enormous pressure not to oppose the Iraq war. The entire force of the British establishment bore down on him, including from former party leaders and from Ming Campbell, though he denies it now. Charlie showed tremendous courage and spirit in resisting the pressures to which almost everybody in authority in the Westminster power structure caved in.
Charlie told me the story of how, as party leader, he was invited by Blair to Downing Street to be shown the original key evidence on Iraqi WMD. Charlie was really worried as he walked there, that there really would be compelling evidence as Blair said, and he would then be unable to maintain the party line against the war. When he saw the actual intelligence on which the dodgy dossier was based, he was astounded. It was incredibly weak and “totally unconvincing”. Blair was not present while Charlie saw the reports, but he saw him afterwards and told Blair he was quite astonished by the paucity of the evidence. Blair went white and looked really rattled, and resorted to a plea for patriotic solidarity. He then reminded Charlie he was not allowed to reveal what he had seen. Charlie felt bound by good faith – he had been shown the intelligence in confidence – not to publish this. Not I think his best moral judgement.
Charlie was very definitely not an enthusiastic supporter of the coalition and, though a federalist not a nationalist, generally kept his distance from the Better Together campaign. He seemed to me to have lost self-confidence through the exposure of his struggles with alcohol, and probably underrated his influence. Charlie was consistent in both his faults and his principles. As President of Glasgow University Union, he was inclined to hands off sybaritism; his expenses and use of taxis became an issue, and that epicurean streak never left him. In his presence I always felt an inferior talent, and those of us who knew him 35 years ago I think all expected him to rise even higher than he did. But he never had the sociopathic streak that makes a dominant political career, and he was at base a very decent and kind man. That is how I shall remember him.
Nothing against Irish-Americans – except (as I believe I mentioned before) those who supported IRA terrorists with money and arms from the safety of the US.
Yes, a decent man, was Charles Kennedy, and I liked him, despite his being a Lib Dem. It was a real shame when he lost his seat to former investment banker, Ian Blackford, of the SNP.
A lot of medical experts on here all of a sudden.
Any specialists in mental troubles by any chance?
You know the saying : physician, heal thyself….
Shouldn’t some further words have been added: “and those who I suppose on the basis of no evidence at all supported the IRA with money and arms (presumably just on the basis of their being Irish-American)”?
“Oh I’m not so sure, you constantly slight Lysais,as our Irish-American,as though he were some sort of second class citizen.”
__________________
Well, I do recall that the gentleman in question told us, unasked, that he was an Irish-American?
In the unlikely event of you, RepublicOfNonsense, telling us something like “I am a Prize Chump” then surely you wouldn’t object if I called you a prize chump from then onwards?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Conclusion : all of you should now take your pills, the nurses will be getting impatient.
RobG
Alcoholics quite often die in a pool of their own vomit. You need to watch out for that.
@Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)
2 Jun, 2015 – 7:20 pm
You actually said something human, for a change.
And i’m not sorry I interrupted your public memorial service. For that is what it is. Like anyone for outside should care.
Why don’t you just make it private. Members only blog. God I hate the political classes. Twisted nature.
It would seem that a certain Irish-American gentleman on here has – despite his intimate knowledge of the hidden workings of the world – never heard of NORAID.
No, it wasn’t. What he said revealed his totally unwarranted assumption that I, presumably because I am American, supported IRA terrorism with money and arms.
Because I am Irish-American, I meant.
RoS
Iago? Bottom more like.
Although Charles Kennedy was primarly a good egg,it wasn’t all sweetness and light.
The veteran child abuse campaigner, Maggie Tuttle listed all of our MP’s who voted for and against making an amendment to the Official Secrets Act so as the act no longer covered CSA – thus allowing MP’s to give evidence in CSA cases.
More importantly, although quite tellingly, not stated – our MP’s in turn would presumably not be able to hide behind the act to stop them being nicked.
Needless to say, the Official Secrets Act remains unamended.
Charles Kennedy voted against amending the act.
http://chrisspivey.org/shhh-its-an-official-secret/
Was that vote on the Official Secrets Act really as recent as earlier this year?
@Anon1
2 Jun, 2015 – 7:30 pm
Gawd, they’re watching me; or at least 10% of the preview you get on the likes of Amazon.
Go on, buy a book. It might change your life.
You might even start posting under your own name. Horror of horrors!
“Was that vote on the Official Secrets Act really as recent as earlier this year”
__________________________
Lysais if you click the link the date on the article is April 3rd this year,so I’d imagine that you’d be correct in assuming that it was earlier this year.
Which would mean it was well after the CSA scandals became prominent.
RoS
BOTTOM Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.
TITANIA Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.
BOTTOM Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out
of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.
TITANIA Out of this wood do not desire to go:
Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no. 140
I am a spirit of no common rate;
The summer still doth tend upon my state;
And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;
I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee,
And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep;
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.
Peaseblossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardseed!
Enter PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, and MUSTARDSEED.
PEASEBLOSSOM Ready.
COBWEB And I.
MOTH And I.
MUSTARDSEED And I.
ALL Where shall we go? 150
TITANIA Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;
Hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes;
Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,
With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;
The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees,
And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs
And light them at the fiery glow-worm’s eyes,
To have my love to bed and to arise;
And pluck the wings from Painted butterflies
To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes: 160
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.
Habbabkuk like Bottom is under the false conception that he is a defender of women and a speaker of truth. Titania, like Craig, appears to be enamoured of his extreme donkey stupidity. and we have to put up with him so long as Craig is under the influence of FCO love juice.
That is the vicious nature of the British state, to take any human weakness and put it to use for crime. Many of Kennedy’s successors will be chosen for adverse conduct or traits that might make them more controllable. Until Scotland is free it will have to support its representatives with explicit adherence to peremptory norms of international law:
British war propaganda and deceptive secrecy under Privy Council terms are criminal activity under the Nuremberg Charter, the Nuremberg Judgment, and the Nuremberg Principles – specifically, crimes against peace including the inchoate crimes of planning and preparation, solicitation, incitement, conspiracy, complicity, attempt, aiding and abetting.
Kennedy possessed the right under international law to prevent, impede, thwart, or terminate state crime by denunciation or other resistance. Such resistance is a legal imperative, as all high-level civilian officials who either knew or should have known that civilians under their control committed or were about to commit international crimes, and failed to take the measures necessary to stop them, or to punish them, or both, are personally responsible for the commission of international crimes.
To stop them or to punish them. We can still make it right. That fucker Blair is not so old. There’s no statute of limitations. We’ll get him.
RobG
Nonce1’s real name is obviously with-held for reasons of confidentiality. He is a paedophile apologist and supporter of the Israel holocaust of Palestinians. Please re-read the anti-discriminatory practise policy on confidentiality of CM.org.uk before trying to expose the identities of the official trolls.
RIP Charles Kennedy. Whatever one’s political opinions this is very sad news indeed and my heart goes out to his loved ones.
@Mary: “Here is Charles in a HoC debate with BLiar in 2004. BLiar had just been to see Bush and Kofi Annan. Note BLiar’s support for Israel.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2004-04-19.21.0#g27.1”
Whilst Charles Kennedy was definitely more critical of Israel than Blair, it would be incorrect for one to assume that he was anti-Zionist. Whilst leader of the Lib Dems, Charles Kennedy actually sacked Baroness Tonge simply for making the comment that she understood why Palestinians would want to blow themselves up as suicide bombers.
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/137204/charles-kennedy-was-great-friend-jews-and-israel
@Craig: Although I don’t think you’re trying to say that in your post, I feel it is profoundly wrong and deeply unfair when judgemental society tends to see alcoholism as a “fault” as opposed to what is really is: i.e. an awful disease that the sufferer cannot help. There is so much stigma attached to being an alcoholic in our society and the bigoted assumption made about people afflicted with such a serious medical condition are so, so wrong!!!
Alcoholic beverages must be approached with EXTREME caution. Alcoholic drink remains the most dangerous and damaging drug of all – in fact, this week’s addition of the New Scientist ranks it as so and advises that consumption of it is treated with extreme caution and always in moderation. Please remember folks, that the Drink Aware guidelines advise no more than 3 to 4 units a day – which is roughly two pints of 4.2 strength beer or two small glasses of wine. Binge drinking is particularly harmful and most people do not realise that medical professionals class binge drinking as drinking more than three pints of lager or three small glasses of wine. You don’t have to be an alcoholic to seriously damage your health and drinking any more than this regularly at any given time (and that includes weekend binges) leads to diabetes, heart disease, strokes, premature ageing of the skin and, of course, irreparable liver disease. Four pints of Stella itself, for instance, contains a male’s calorific recommendation for one whole day! Worse still, alcohol is full of so much sugar and empty carbohydrates.
So please folks, enjoy alcohol by all means but do stay within the limits of two pints or two glasses of wine at any given time – and please ensure that you do not drink every day but give your body time to recover in-between. Stay safe:)
Murt
“British war propaganda and deceptive secrecy under Privy Council terms are criminal activity under the Nuremberg Charter, the Nuremberg Judgment, and the Nuremberg Principles – specifically, crimes against peace including the inchoate crimes of planning and preparation, solicitation, incitement, conspiracy, complicity, attempt, aiding and abetting.
Kennedy possessed the right under international law to prevent, impede, thwart, or terminate state crime by denunciation or other resistance. Such resistance is a legal imperative, as all high-level civilian officials who either knew or should have known that civilians under their control committed or were about to commit international crimes, and failed to take the measures necessary to stop them, or to punish them, or both, are personally responsible for the commission of international crimes.”
Very well explained. That either makes Charles Kennedy look weak, or the UK state look extremely nasty, or probably a bit of both.
Charles Kennedy Rest in peace.
I was also going to emphasize that although the medical health guideline is not to exceed 21 units per week (equivalent to around 11 pints of moderate strength beer, for instance), the 21 units should be consumed no more than 3 to 4 units per day as drinking the 21 units at the weekend is even more harmful than exceeding them over the period of a week. If that makes sense – as a rule, no more than two drinks at any given time and you should be alright. xx
“It’s beginning to look like the Daily Mail has replaced Neues Deutschland as someone’s favourite reading.”
Would that be the same Daily Mail whose antisemitic proprietor and personal friend of Adolf Hitler, Lord Rothermere, propagandized against post-war Jewish immigration into the UK?
Fred
2 Jun, 2015 – 2:14 pm
“Don’t forget Salmond the sick psychopath.”
………………………………………………..
Fred, from the Telegraph bullshit:
“The former First Minister said he did not think Mr Kennedy’s “heart” was in the pro-UK Better Together referendum campaign and he would have been “reconciled” to an independent Scotland.”
Read the words Fred. It was the opinion that Alex Salmond had about Charles Kennedy at the time of the Better Together Campaign. That’s all – nothing sinister.
Fred
2 Jun, 2015 – 3:34 pm
“The truth is Charles Kennedy worked hard and campaigned hard for a united Britain.”
……………………………………………….
Any evidence of that Fred?
Fred
2 Jun, 2015 – 5:46 pm
“Salmond’s comments about Charles Kennedy so soon after his death were sick.”
…………………………………………………………………………
Which comments did Salmond make about Charles Kennedy that were “sick” Fred?
Evidence needed.
Becky, if it is generally accepted that those with drinking problems understate to their GPs the amount of alcohol they consume (which seems to me to be highly likely), it might reasonably be assumed that the level at which the government regard the amount consumed to be unacceptable would almost certainly, therefore, be skewed. Do you agree?
Veterans For Peace UK, Unite Against Fascism, Campaign Against Arms Trade, Radical Assembly, Justice4Kingsley Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, Rising Tide North America, Movement for Justice By Any Means Necessary, Bring Back British Rail, Fuel Poverty Action, Democracy Now!
These are the movements of people. These and many others that will change things, are changing things. Even isolated individual acts of resistance matter, Read Zinn.
In the face of such efforts, maintained by people with little privilege (who are these movements only real power). It seems an indulgence to prioritize ones own individual ideas.
But they don’t matter as they have no power? Or it would reduce your own privilege to help others. And I don’t mean this to point the finger at Craig specifically. It’s across the bored, follow the money. That’s not power it’s obedience and control. Structures are changed as people fight, yet remain in those that see themselves as against, truth is the most radical thing many could do is be poor. Sign on, get a job in a shop, rejoin what’s left of the community’s your privilege has degraded. Just do the things one average person can do.
Again, this wold be a revolution tomorrow, but no. They are to busy being important for all of us.
Mary
Good to have you back, hope you are feeling better.
Kind regards,
John