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.
Indeed, Habbakuk – except, for example, that Lysias has a serious and valid point about the Irish-American stuff. Perhaps you’d care to address that? Along with the fact that, from a quick scan back at this comment section’s lamentable history, you seem to now be hounding Lysias (of whom otherwise I’m afraid I don’t have much knowledge) for the name of his alma mater – almost as tedious as hearing the word ‘troll’ so frequently. I’ve skimmed your justifications for doing so, and they don’t hold up, btw.
“And you have continued to criticize me for being Irish-American.”
_________________
Really? Can you show me where?
I have certainly criticised your “views” and I have suggested that your preoccupation with paedophilia in the UK (why should an American be so exercised about it by the way – don’t you have any of your own in the US to worry about?) is motivated by your desire to give the British “Establishment” a good kicking – hence your focus on the “cover-up” angle.
I have also refuted the lie that I have something against all Irish-Americans by stating that I have nothing against Irish-Americans except those who provided the IRA terrorists with money and arms from the saftey of the US.
I take it you would also condemn those Irish-Americans who so provided? Wouldn’t you?
Lysias
The troll was probing. Please ignore him. A good whack on the nose will normally shut them up for 15 minutes. Logical argument makes them salivate because they want to eat it.
Rational thought creates volumes of slime on the lino which apart from the mess is a tripping hazard.
If left for more than a day to their own devices they talk as if they were the blog owner and start lecturing all and sundry. They are there as establishment guard dogs. Eventually the flooring will be eaten away by their defecation and the stench of their urine becoes overpowering. So long as truth is contained and interrupted, they get paid.
You’re really allergic to mentions of pedophile politicians, aren’t you?
Daniel
02/06/2015 10:27pm
Maybe you are correct. All I did was make the guidelines available. If the point you are making has occurred to you, however, do you think that it has not occurred to people who spend their whole working lives studying the effects of alcohol?
There may be – in fact, I would be surprised if there were not – studies which look at exactly how to compensate for the under-reporting that you mention. Also, many people who are really serious about addressing their drinking are very honest to clinicians about how much they drink. I can give personal testimony on that score.
I won’t comment further on this, because I don’t want to get into trying to prove anything and finding studies, papers etc. I’m going to leave it entirely up to you. Believe whatever you want to, and as I say, maybe you are quite right. There are plenty of alcohol experts around – I gave you one contact. If you want expert commentary on your queries and your position, please can I suggest you put them directly to someone better informed than I am.
Kind regards,
John
Technicolour
“you seem to now be hounding Lysias (of whom otherwise I’m afraid I don’t have much knowledge) for the name of his alma mater”
___________________
Then you have not read back carefully enough either.
Lysias has himself provided readers – unasked, by the way – withe the name of his alma mater. It is Oxford University (where he claims to have read Greats – ie, Classics).
I have asked him repeatedly which college (of Oxford University) he attended and I find his refusal to tell us rather strange.
As strange as I found his claim that when he was at Oxford he never heard of the Bullingdon Club.
And that he claimed to be ignorant of whether one could read PPE (sometimes called “Modern Greats”)at Cambridge.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
“You’re really allergic to mentions of pedophile politicians, aren’t you?”
___________________
Not as much as you appear really obsessed with linking to the Daily Mail about British paedophile politicans, Lysias.
As I said a moment ago, it would be more interesting if you told us something about paedophile politicians in what you claim to be your country, the US.
“why should an American be so exercised about it by the way – don’t you have any of your own in the US to worry about?”
Er, he’s on a British blog.
“is motivated by your desire to give the British “Establishment” a good kicking”
– ?. If the British “Establishment” has been covering up child abuse then it’s not about ‘giving it a kicking’. There are prison terms for that.
Thanks for that information Mary.
Well, just because someone claimed to be Oxbridge on this blog doesn’t mean that they should have to reveal the name of their college. Are you suggesting that Lysias is not what they seem to be? If so, why is it important?
Daniel
“Habba, I’m asking you.”
____________________
Then you are asking the wrong person.
I was not around in the 1930s to read the Daily Mail. And I do not read it now.
But Lysias does (judging by the frequency with which he links to it).
So he is the man you must ask.
And you are still a (boring) arse.
PS – Let me know what Lysias said, won’t you 🙂
Technicolour
“Are you suggesting that Lysias is not what they (sic)seem to be?”
_____________________
Let’s say that I have doubts about parts of his story.
and, by the way, he didn’t claim to be “Oxbridge” – he said “Oxford”.
Habbakuk, the world is bigger than this blog, you know.
Good night all.
Technicolour
I actually quite like you (well, sometimes 🙂 ) and so will respond one last time for the moment to a couple of your posts here.
“Er, he’s on a British blog.”
___________________
Indeed he is. But would that prevent him from telling us something about US paedophile politicians and possible US cover-ups? After all, surely we do not need Lysias to tell us what is all over the papers in the UK, whereas we might learn somethong if he told us about the US.
He could of course also post about UK paedophile politicians in an American blog to keep his compatriots informed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
““is motivated by your desire to give the British “Establishment” a good kicking”
– ?. If the British “Establishment” has been covering up child abuse then it’s not about ‘giving it a kicking’. There are prison terms for that.”
__________________
There certainly are. But it is not Lysias who will be doing the investigating, prosecuting and sentencing – all Lysias can do is give an internet kicking.
Which is why I referred to Lysias giving the British “Establishment” a good kicking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Well, just because someone claimed to be Oxbridge on this blog doesn’t mean that they should have to reveal the name of their college.”
_________________
OK, let’s look at this from the opposite angle and perhaps you can help. Can you think of a good reason why someone who claims he attended Oxford – and even told us what he allegedly read when there – should not also tell us the college he was at?
@Mary, pay no attention to gatekeeper Techninut, she is goading you on behalf of her twisted friend, that strange “Palestinian Supporter” who thinks being Israel friendly is fine, and going on about the I/P issue is not fine, yes the very suspect & dopey Dreoilin.
ResDis
True – in fact Charlie was SDP and I was a Liberal. But the parties were in a formal alliance, even though they had not yet merged.
“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.”
Thanks for the advice Becky Cohen and John Spencer-Davis. I would advise others to seriously consider this advice. Sunday I had nothing alcoholic. Yesterday I had a can of beer. Tonight I have had my quota of 2 small glasses of wine. I enjoyed them and now I am on my third.
The guidelines are guidelines and it is important that they are there. I expect everybody’s metabolism is different to some extent. Some people seem to be able to eat as much as they want and never put on weight. Others only have to look at a chocolate bar and next thing they’re Poroshenko.
Lighten up everybody. It has been so entertaining and educational reading your comments and light relief from the serious issues that need to be discussed.
There has been wit with the Troll and the Troll’s Moll, Molly’s and trolleys, and Dreoilin’s dictionary explanations were very welcome too, and quite right. Moll Flanders is most certainly the best whoring book of Defoe’s I’ve read – a must read.
Noddy too must have a sense of humour (or a skin thicker than that of a Komodo Dragon, sorry Ba’al). Yesterday I likened him to Misery aka Nimrod as Mr Hunter was known in The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and today he has been compared to Iago and Bottom and still he “doth protest too much”.
Thanks one and all, and apols to trolls and molls and I have not mentioned. A cannon-volley for any Molly I missed, and Goodnight one and all I’m half-pissed.
I might do a post on alcohol further away from Charlie’s death. It is an interesting topic and my view is not mainstream. I don’t really believe alcohol is a physical addiction. I have certainly drunk a very great deal on occasion and sometimes for reasonably long stretches, but have never been physically compelled to continue. I consumed approx a bottle of wine with Ghanaian friends on Saturday. About a fortnight ago I had approx 11 pints at an all day party. But I have not had a drink or the slightest desire for one inbetween. There have been periods of my life when I drank at the level of well over a bottle of wine or equivalent a day for two or three weeks solid, but not from either mental or physical compulsion. I never had to battle alcohol to be able to keep sober for work or occasions when drunkenness would not be appropriate. I have always had periods where I go for week or even months on end without a drink at all just because occasion did not arise. I have therefore been unable to comprehend the notion that alcohol is addictive, and regard the accepted view that total abstinence is the only way to recover from dependence as arrant nonsense.
As I say, in a couple of weeks time I might give this a separate thread.
Damned by praise from the creator of the war criminal’s dodgy dossier.
‘Charles Kennedy – a lovely man, a talented politician, a great friend with a shared enemy’
2 June 2015
http://www.alastaircampbell.org/blog/2015/06/02/charles-kennedy-a-lovely-man-a-talented-politician-a-great-friend-with-a-shared-enemy/
Unbelievably, MIND {previously MENCAP} still have Campbell as one of their ‘Ambassadors’.
http://www.mind.org.uk/about-us/celebrity-support/our-ambassadors/
Campbell needs all the publicity he can get. As he is flogging a new book entitled ‘ Winners and How They Succeed’, here’s a mention.:}
‘Available to pre-order now from Amazon.
Alastair Campbell knows all about winning. As Tony Blair’s chief spokesman and strategist he helped guide the Labour Party to victory in three successive general elections. And he’s fascinated by what it takes to win…….’
Warm Words for a warm Man Craig
i have always been SNP, but after Charles’s Stand against the Iraq war, i certainly did grow to like him…not sure i might even have voted for Lib Dems around 2003, and in that year they did take control of Inverclyde.
I see Alex S. has been defending his remarks Re Charles’s heart not being in the No side.. And that he was replying to a direct Question.
I suspect Alex might have some moments of Hindsight on this one, He did have plenty of Praise for Charles Kennedy.
Some interesting posts fore sure John, Re Alcohol, I have seen otherwise Kind, caring people turned into monsters whilst drunk.
Mary, Welcome Back. 🙂
Cheers Brian. Hope you are back to full health.
~~~
Saw this on the BBC Devon page although it concerns the Scottish people too. The article emphasizes the financial cost but the real risks to our health and to the environment get mentioned at the end.
Laid-up nuclear submarines at Rosyth and Devonport cost £16m
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-32086030
‘Nuclear graveyards
◾No site has been agreed to take the radioactive reactors
◾Devonport has 12 submarines: four defueled, eight with fuel
◾Rosyth has seven submarines, all defueled
◾The oldest submarine is HMS Dreadnought in Rosyth, decommissioned in 1980
◾The latest laid-up submarine is HMS Tireless in Devonport, decommissioned in 2014
The MoD faces having to dismantle the 19 stored submarines and another eight submarines that are due to leave service by the mid-2030s.’
Mary I’m better now, a second course of Antibiotics, and Steroids was required.
And just in time too, cos I’m off to The Atlantic Ocean coast ( Seil island ) on Friday morning. Hope the summer joins us.
Your post @ 6;57 reminds me of a quote from President Dwight Eisenhower –
” The cost of One modern heavy bomber is this :
A modern brick school in 30 cities.
it is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population
it is two fine, fully equipped hospitals.
it is some 50 miles of concrete highy.
And then i wonder what we could Get / Do with trident’s £100 billion
Craig
All you are demonstrating is that all people are not alike when it comes to physical/other types of addiction to alcohol (and other substances) and their constitutions when it comes to the amount of alcohol they can consume. Also beware these things change with age.
Interesting Brian. Have fun and take some of your excellent photos.
Correction. Earlier I said Mencap became MIND. Wrong. Mencap still exists. MIND used to be called NAMH – National Association for Mental Health. Its president is Stephen Fry.
“Some interesting posts fore sure John, Re Alcohol, I have seen otherwise Kind, caring people turned into monsters whilst drunk.”
Me too Brian. It certainly changes character. In vino veritas as they say. It can bring out the worst, and sometimes the best in people. Those under the influence can be either witty or rude. Churchill was both. We have to ‘treat those two imposters both the same’ as Kipling might have said. In one of his ruder moments when accosted by Lady Astor after she remarked that he was drunk Churchill said something like: “And you are ugly. But in the morning I shall be sober.” Some say he said it to Bessie Braddock.
From one who did not my advice is to follow the guidelines. Exercise regularly if you have no ailment preventing you. The liver thrives on exercise. Never smoke – this is very harmful. Unfortunately my generation and my parents’ generation had film-star role models who forever seemed to have a fag in their mouths. If you go to Romania there are as many smokers there today as there were here in the fifties/sixties. It is an expensive learning-curve and tobacco companies have a lot to answer for.
Torture Wednesday?
Probably nothing to do with Charles, but today happens to have multiple worldwide torture news – from Chileans opposed to Pinochet – who worry that the FBI are over-doing it https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2015/06/197_180140.html
to the US historically initiating their torture regime in Vietnam 1968, of all places http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_secret_origins_of_the_cias_torture_program_and_the_forgotten_20150601
and more recent allegations of rape – sorry – rectal feeding by The Telegraph! in Cuba, with the help of medical doctors, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11647370/CIA-torture-more-brutal-and-sadistic-than-Senate-report-disclosed.html
moll
Early 17th century: pet form of the given name Mary.
LOL YCNMIU …and I didn’t make it up! Please don’t believe me — look it up!
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/moll
Freudian projection by Mary? Poetic justice?
Habby please be careful!
Brian, have a great holiday. Relax. Hope all is now well with you and the family.
John, on a serious note, I’m glad you mentioned smoking and exercise.
The combination of drinking and smoking is a killer.
Exercise is essential for mindbody balance and upping the metabolism in order to sweep away the negative effects of so-called lifestyle, effectively abuse.
We may be modern humans, but we are still of the hunter-gatherer model.
Look forward to Craig’s post on alcohol.