Alastair Campbell and Charles Kennedy: Difference between pages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Difference between pages)
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m infobox
 
No edit summary
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{otherpersons|Charles Kennedy}}
{{Infobox Person
{{Infobox_Politician
|name = Alastair Campbell
| honorific-prefix = <small>[[The Right Honourable]]</small><br>
|image = Alastair Campbell.jpg
| name = Charles Kennedy
|caption =
| honorific-suffix = [[Member of Parliament|MP]]
|birth_date = 25 May 1957
| image = Charles Kennedy, October 2007.jpg
|birth_place =
| imagesize = 200px
|death_date =
| office = [[List of United Kingdom Liberal Democrat leaders|Leader of the Liberal Democrats]]
|death_place =
| term_start = 9 August 1999
|other_names =
| term_end = 7 January 2006
|alma_mater = [[Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]]
| deputy = [[Menzies Campbell]]<br />[[Alan Beith]]
|known_for = Director of Communications and Strategy for [[New Labour]]
| predecessor = [[Paddy Ashdown]]
|occupation = Journalist, author, broadcaster
| successor = [[Menzies Campbell]]
|nationality = British
| constituency_MP2 = [[Ross, Skye and Lochaber (UK Parliament constituency)|Ross, Skye and Lochaber]] <br/> <small>[[Ross, Skye and Inverness West (UK Parliament constituency)|Ross, Skye and Inverness West]] (1997-2005)</small>
|spouse = Fiona Miller
| majority2 = 14,249 (43.8%)
|children = 3
| term_start2 = 5 May 2005
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 = ''new constituency''
| successor2 = Incumbent
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|11|25|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Inverness]], [[Scotland]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = [[United Kingdom|British]]
| spouse = Sarah Gurling
| party = (1) [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|SDP]] (1983-1988)<br />(2) [[Liberal Democrats]] (1988-Present)
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater = [[University of Glasgow]]
| occupation =
| profession =
| religion = [[Roman Catholic]]
| signature =
| website = [http://www.charleskennedy.org.uk/ www.charleskennedy.org.uk]
| footnotes =
}}
}}
'''Charles Peter Kennedy''' (born [[25 November]] [[1959]]) is a [[Politics of the United Kingdom|British politician]].
:''This is about the political associate of Tony Blair; for others see [[Alistair Campbell (disambiguation)]].''

'''Alastair John Campbell''' (born 25 May 1957) served as [[Public relations|Director of Communications and Strategy]] for the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] from 1997 to 2003. He began working with [[Tony Blair]] in 1994.
From 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006, he was the leader of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], the third largest [[List of political parties in the United Kingdom|political party]] in the [[United Kingdom]].

In the [[United Kingdom general election, 1983|1983 General Election]] he stood for the [[Ross, Cromarty and Skye (UK Parliament constituency)|Ross, Cromarty & Skye constituency]], then held by the Conservative MP and Minister, [[Hamish Gray]]. In a shock result, Kennedy was elected (for the SDP): at 23, he became the youngest MP in the House of Commons. Ambitious and popular, he quickly emerged as a potential party leader. In 1994, by which time the SDP and the Liberal Party had merged, he became President of the Liberal Democrats - a position he held for four years. In 1999, on the resignation of [[Paddy Ashdown]], Kennedy was elected party leader.

He took the party through two General Elections. However, he faced criticism for his laid-back leadership style, and there was considerable speculation regarding his alcohol consumption. From December 2005, some within the party were questioning his leadership and calling for a leadership election. On 5 January 2006, Kennedy was informed that [[Independent Television News|ITN]] would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem. Kennedy decided to pre-empt the broadcast and admit his drinking problem openly. He called a leadership election at the same time, stating that he intended to stand. The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing within the parliamentary party. As support for him amongst this key group ebbed away, Kennedy resigned as leader on 7 January, saying that he would not be standing in the leadership election. Deputy leader Sir [[Menzies Campbell]] took over as interim leader and was elected as leader on 2 March 2006.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Born in [[Inverness]], [[Scotland]], and raised as a [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], Charles Kennedy was educated at [[Lochaber]] High School, in [[Fort William, Highland|Fort William]]. There, he was known for taking part in the school's mock elections that ran at the same time as the real elections.
Alastair Campbell is the son of [[veterinary surgeon]] Donald Campbell and his wife, Elizabeth, a [[Scotland|Scottish]] couple (his father was a [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]] speaker from [[Tiree]] while his mother was from [[Ayrshire]]<ref>Seon C. Caimbeul [http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/gaelic/Beachdan-ceannard-nan-car-mu.3310864.jp "Beachdan 'ceannard nan car' mu ar cànain"] ''The Scotsman'' 28 July 2007, Retrieved on 30 July 2007.</ref>) who moved to [[Keighley]], [[West Yorkshire]], [[England]] when the elder Campbell became a partner in a veterinary practice there. Alastair has two elder brothers, Donald and Graeme, and a younger sister, Elizabeth.


Kennedy went on to study for a [[Master of Arts (Scotland)|Master of Arts degree]] in [[Politics]] and [[Philosophy]] at the [[University of Glasgow]]. At university, he became politically active, joining the [[Glasgow University Dialectic Society|Dialectic Society]] (a debating club), but he was not a member of the Labour Club. He was elected president of [[Glasgow University Union]] (GUU) and won the [[British Observer Mace]] university debating award. GUU was the last all-male student union in the UK; during his time on the board it is claimed that Kennedy opposed admitting women as members - he has personally denied this. Shortly after, he joined the [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|Social Democrats]] (SDP).
Campbell attended City of Leicester School and [[Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]], where he studied modern languages ([[French language|French]] and [[German language|German]], for which he received a 2:1, or Upper Second) and claimed that he wrote essays based solely on criticism and did not always read the works themselves. Campbell spent a year in the South of [[France]] as part of his [[Academic degree|degree]].


Upon graduation in 1982, he went to work for [[BBC Highland]] as a [[journalism|journalist]], and later received a [[Fulbright Fellowship]]. This allowed him to carry out research at [[Indiana University Bloomington|Indiana University]] in the [[United States]], on the speeches and writings of [[Roy Jenkins]].
Campbell also became interested in [[journalism]]. His first published work was "Inter-City Ditties", his winning entry to a readers' competition run by [[pornography|pornographic]] magazine ''[[Forum (magazine)|Forum]]''. This led to a lengthy stint working for ''Forum'', writing articles such as "The Riviera Gigolo" and "Busking with Bagpipes" which Campbell claimed were based on autobiographical events.<ref>[[Peter Oborne|Oborne, Peter]] and Simon Walters (2004). ''Alastair Campbell.'' Aurum. ISBN 1-84513-001-4. pp. 25-32.</ref>


==Member of Parliament==
He was appointed as a sports reporter on the ''Tavistock Times'' and then promoted to the news pages where his first major story was the loss of the [[Penlee Point, Mousehole|Penlee]] lifeboat with all its crew. It was as a trainee on the Plymouth-based West Country newspaper the ''Sunday Independent'', then owned by [[Trinity Mirror‎|Mirror Group Newspapers]], that he met his partner, [[Fiona Millar]].
While studying in America he also received the [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|Social Democratic Party]] (SDP) nomination for the Scottish seat of [[Ross, Cromarty and Skye (UK Parliament constituency)|Ross, Cromarty and Skye]], which he went on to win in 1983, becoming the [[Baby of the House|youngest sitting]] [[Member of Parliament]]. He has retained the seat and its successor, [[Ross, Skye and Inverness West (UK Parliament constituency)|Ross, Skye and Inverness West]], at five subsequent general elections. He is the Liberal Democrat MP for the seat which replaced it in 2005, [[Ross, Skye and Lochaber]].


In the late 1980s the SDP and the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]], which had been co-operating in the [[SDP-Liberal Alliance]], merged to form the Social and Liberal Democratic Party, later renamed the Liberal Democrats. Kennedy was the first of the five SDP MPs to support the merger; in his book "Time To Declare" [[David Owen]] suggests this was due to pressure from Liberal activists in his constituency.
==Mental illness==
Alistair Campbell was admitted to [[Ross Hall Hospital]], [[Glasgow]], Scotland in 1986 when he traveled to Scotland as a journalist to cover [[Neil Kinnock]]'s visit to Glasgow. He had been drinking alcohol heavily up to that day; although, he had little alcohol when traveling and in Scotland. He rapidly developed a [[psychosis]] with thoughts that he was being subject to a continuous test, and misinterpreting the events and interactions as being part of this test. He also began to hear voices (auditory [[hallucination]]s). After a misdemeanor he found himself in a police cell, and his wife in London received a phone call with the bad news at about 2.00 am in the morning, who was able to make telephone calls, to people in Scotland, who took him out of the police cell and took him to Ross Hall Hospital, a private [[BMI Healthcare|BMI hospital]], where his wife and her father visited him. Over the next five days of hospital care he was given medication that calmed him, and he first realised that he had an alcohol problem after seeing his psychiatrist. From that day he counted each day that he did not drink alcohol and did not stop counting until he had counted thousands. After hospitalization he returned to England, preferring to stay with friends near [[Cheltenham]], rather than return to his Wife in London, where he did not feel safe. His condition continued with a phase of [[depression]], and he was reluctant to seek further medial help wanting to get himself better; however, he eventually cooperated with treatment from his [[General Practitioner|family doctor]]. He was given a job at the [[Daily Mail]] having to start at a low grade again and doing nightshirts. His first son was born in 1987. From 1994 he worked with the British government of [[Tony Blair]] and gained a celebrity status. Campbell told Blair about his illness, which Blair did not see as a problem. He was active during the controversies of the Gulf War. After his resignation of 2003 he suffered a recurrence of depression, and he has required medication from time to time since. In October 2008, he broadcast his personal story of his illness in a television documentary partly to reduce the stigma of mental health.<ref>Television documentary about Alistair Campbell. Broadcast 12 October 2008</ref>


Kennedy served as a frontbencher for the Lib Dems in a variety of posts, including [[social security]], [[agriculture]] and [[rural]] affairs, [[health]], [[Scotland]] and [[European Union|Europe]]. He was also party president for four years, between 1990 and 1994.
==National newspapers==
Campbell later moved to the London office of the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' where he became a political correspondent. However, his rapid rise and stressful job led to alcohol abuse <ref>Cracking Up BBC2 11/10/2008 10pm Alastair Campbell documentary </ref> and a psychotic breakdown in 1986. Campbell recovered and has become teetotal <ref>Alastair Campbell, [[The Blair Years]] (2007), entry for 6 April 2002</ref>. He rebuilt his career and became the Political Editor of the ''Daily Mirror'', the largest circulation left-wing paper. Campbell was a close advisor of [[Neil Kinnock]], going on holiday with the Kinnocks, and worked closely with [[Robert Maxwell]]. Campbell's loyalty to Maxwell was demonstrated when he punched ''[[The Guardian]]'' journalist [[Michael White (journalist)|Michael White]] after White joked about "Captain Bob, Bob, Bob...bobbing" in the Atlantic Ocean shortly after Maxwell's drowning in 1991.<ref>Michael White [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,9061,587925,00.html "White vs Campbell",] ''The Guardian'', 5 November 2001. Retrieved on 19 July 2997.</ref> Campbell later put this down to stress at the thought of himself and others losing their job following the demise of the ''Daily Mirror'' proprietor[1].<ref>Simon Hoggart [http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,3605,1006140,00.html "Sooner or later, Campbell was going to lose it",] ''The Guardian'', 26 July 2003. Retrieved on 19 July 2007.</ref><ref>Nick Assinder [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2977978.stm "The life and times of Alastair Campbell",] BBC News, 29 August 2003. Retrieved on 19 July 2007.</ref>


===Leader of Liberal Democrats===
After leaving the ''Mirror'', Campbell became Political Editor of ''[[Today (UK newspaper)|Today]]'', a full colour tabloid newspaper which had launched in 1986, but was now trying to turn leftward. Campbell was working there when [[John Smith (UK politician)|John Smith]] died in 1994. He was a well-known face and helped to interview the three candidates for the new [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] leader; it was later revealed that he had already formed links with [[Tony Blair]].
On 9 August 1999, Charles Kennedy was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats after the retirement of [[Paddy Ashdown]]; he beat [[Jackie Ballard]], [[Malcolm Bruce]], [[Simon Hughes]] and [[David Rendel]]. He won 57% of the transferred vote under the [[Alternative Vote]] system (Simon Hughes, the runner-up, won 43% of the vote).


Kennedy's style of leadership differed from Ashdown's, being regarded as more conversational and "laid back". Although he has been dismissed as "Chatshow Charlie" by some observers, as a result of his appearances on the [[satire|satirical]] [[panel game]] ''[[Have I Got News for You]]'', [[opinion poll]]s showed him to be regarded positively as a party leader and potential [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] by a significant fraction of the British electorate. He had made many appearances on ''HIGNFY'' prior to his election as leader; and subsequently became the first serving leader of one of the three main parties to appear on the show. He then went on to guest as a host of it.
==Work for Tony Blair==
Shortly after Blair won and became leader of the opposition in 1994, Campbell left the newspaper to become his spokesman. He played an important role in the run-up to the [[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997 general election]], working with [[Peter Mandelson]] to co-ordinate Labour's campaign. Campbell intervened personally to complain whenever media outlets ran stories he felt were unhelpful to the campaign, and was not afraid to attack journalists personally when they displeased him. When Blair became Prime Minister in 1997, Campbell was appointed as the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman in charge of the [[10 Downing Street]] press machine.


Kennedy maintained the long-standing aspiration for his party to break through to the status of [[Her Majesty's Opposition|official opposition]]. In his first major campaign, the [[United Kingdom general election, 2001|2001 general election]], the Liberal Democrats improved their share of the vote to 18.3%, 1.5% more than in the [[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997 election]]. Although this was a smaller share than the 25.4% the SDP/Liberal Alliance achieved [[united Kingdom general election, 1983|in 1983]], the Lib Dems won 52 seats compared to the Alliance's 23. In his last General Election as leader, in May 2005, the Liberal Democrats won 62 seats, their greatest number of seats since the 1920s, gaining 22.1% of the vote.
As the Labour government found its feet, Blair relied for his political advice on a close circle of his own staff. Campbell was seen as particularly influential, and was sometimes referred to as the "real Deputy Prime Minister". His influence was certainly greater than his job title suggested: along with [[Jonathan Powell (chief of staff to Tony Blair)|Jonathan Powell]] he was given the authority to direct Civil Servants, who previously had taken instructions only from ministers. ([[Gordon Brown]], in his first day as Prime Minister, rescinded this authority). Campbell's control of the traditional [[Lobby System]] under which a select group of accredited journalists were given privileged access to the Prime Minister's spokesman (and the journalistic kudos that this access could bring) meant that he wielded a good deal of power over the media, as previous Press Secretaries had found. Unlike those of his predecessors, his had been a political appointment and had not come through the [[Civil Service]].


Kennedy has also spoken out in favour of lowering the British [[drinking age]] from 18 to 16, as well as supporting lowering the voting age from 18 down to 16.
In 1998 Alastair Campbell headed the Strategic Communications Unit. This department sought to centralize all government communications to ensure that all departments "stayed on message".


[[Image:Charles Peter Kennedy.jpg|thumb|right|Kennedy during the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005 election]] campaign.]]
===After 2001===
Kennedy, along with his "election guru" [[Chris Rennard, Baron Rennard|Lord Rennard]], targeted the Lib Dems' campaigning on a limited number of seats in such a way as to turn a lower level of national support into a greater number of Parliamentary seats. He extended this strategy at the 2005 General Election targeting the seats held by the most senior and/or highly regarded Conservative MPs, dubbed a "decapitation" strategy, with the expectation that without these "key" figures, the Conservatives would be discredited as the Official Opposition allowing Charles Kennedy and the Liberal Democrats to claim that they are the "effective Opposition".
When Blair won a second term on 7 June 2001 Campbell took a step back from the job of briefing journalists and was appointed as the "Prime Minister's Director of Communications and Strategy". This gave him a strategic role in overseeing government communications. He was sometimes regarded with suspicion (if not outright hostility) by elements of the Labour Party and Blair's political opponents who felt he minimised the role of members of the government and members of Parliament. However, those who worked closely with him describe an aggressive but funny and loyal colleague, who inspired loyalty in others. Even his most severe critics regarded him as adept in the techniques of [[news management]]. He was memorably sponsored by the US President [[George W. Bush]] to complete the London marathon in aid of a cancer charity, [[Leukaemia Research]] which he had supported since a journalist colleague died early of the disease.


However, this strategy is widely seen to have failed. At the 2005 General Election, the Liberal Democrats failed to unseat leading Conservatives such as the Shadow [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] [[Oliver Letwin]], Shadow [[Home Secretary]] [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]], Shadow Secretary of State for the Family [[Theresa May]] and the [[Leader of the Opposition (UK)|Leader of the Opposition]] [[Michael Howard]]. The biggest "scalp" the Liberal Democrats managed to claim was that of the Shadow [[Secretary of State for Education and Skills|Education Secretary]] [[Tim Collins (politician)|Tim Collins]] in [[Westmorland and Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)|Westmorland and Lonsdale]]. This was one of only three seats the Liberal Democrats won from the Conservatives, the others being [[Solihull (UK Parliament constituency)|Solihull]] and [[Taunton (UK Parliament constituency)|Taunton]].
===Iraq War===
In February 2003 he was a central figure in the alleged "[[Dodgy Dossier|dodgy dossier]]" controversy. A dossier on Iraqi concealment of Weapons of mass destruction and human rights abuses under [[Saddam Hussein]] was published on 3 February. The dossier purported to be based on intelligence but a large section had been taken (unacknowledged) from an article by [[Ibrahim al-Marashi]] available on the internet. The article was the basis of chapter two of his [[University of Oxford]] doctoral thesis, which was unfinished at that time.


At the same time, the Lib Dems also hoped to capture marginal Labour seats, attracting Labour voters (particularly [[Muslim]] voters) who were dissatisfied because of the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]] which Kennedy's party had opposed; the party had succeeded with this tactic in [[by-election]]s, taking [[Brent East (UK Parliament constituency)|Brent East]] and [[Leicester South (UK Parliament constituency)|Leicester South]] from Labour. The Party did succeed to some extent in this aim, winning particularly in student areas such as Bristol, Cardiff and Manchester, but did not see the breakthrough some expected in areas with large Asian populations, even losing Leicester South.
A few months later he became embroiled in further controversy after the [[BBC]] reporter [[Andrew Gilligan]] broadcast claims that the government had included evidence it knew to be false (famously described as "sexed up" by another BBC journalist) in an earlier dossier (about Iraqi [[Weapons of Mass Destruction]]). In a later newspaper article Gilligan said that his source had specifically identified Campbell himself as responsible for the alleged exaggerations. Campbell demanded a retraction and apology from the BBC, but none was forthcoming.


In the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005 election]] the party succeeded in regaining the seat of Ceredigion, its first gain from the Welsh Party [[Plaid Cymru]]. Overall Kennedy's party achieved a total of 62 seats, their highest number since 1923 with 22% of the overall vote.
The BBC's source, [[Dr David Kelly]], identified himself to his employers at the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]. The government released this news and under questioning from newspapers desperate to identify the source gave sufficient hints for his identity to become public. Kelly committed suicide shortly afterward and the [[Hutton inquiry]] into the circumstances of his death pushed Campbell further into the limelight. The inquiry showed that Campbell had been working closely with the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), in which the different sections of the intelligence services meet, and made suggestions about the wording of the dossier. He had also been keen that Kelly's identity be made public writing in his diary, "It would fuck Gilligan if that were his source". However, Lord Hutton cleared Campbell of acting improperly, as JIC had taken all editorial decisions. Hutton also found that Kelly's name would have had to be made public to avoid allegations of a cover-up. The Hutton report was widely criticised in the media, however, and Campbell's "Presidential"-style press conference afterwards was perceived by some to be misjudged, with Campbell attacked for appearing to gloat over the [[BBC]]'s misfortune. This criticism increased when Campbell sold a signed copy of the Hutton report at a charity auction.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} Comments in his recently published diaries are contradicted by some of the statements made during the Inquiry, leading some to call for a re-examination of the evidence, particularly telephone calls made to Dr. Kelly in the week before his suicide, although this seems unlikely as the Hutton inquiry had access to Campbell's diaries for the period.


In the wake of the General Election, Kennedy's leadership came under increased criticism from those who felt that the [[Liberal Democrats]] could have surged forward at a time when, arguably, the Official Opposition, the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]], were in a relatively weak position. Many pointed the finger of blame at Kennedy for failing to widen the Party's appeal while others, like the former Deputy Chairman of the Federal Liberal Democrat Party, [[Donnachadh McCarthy]], resigned from the Party citing the party's shift to the right of the political spectrum under Kennedy in pursuit of Conservative votes. Under the party's rules, a leader has to stand for re-election within a year of a general election. Kennedy handed out the ballot papers to the parliamentary party within days of the 2005 election, leaving no time for anyone to mount a challenge, and allowing him to be re-elected unopposed. There was much speculation at the time as to whether he would have survived a challenge{{Fact|date=May 2008}}.
===Resignation===
On 29 August 2003 he announced his resignation from 10 Downing Street. As well as editing his diaries for publication (see below), in recent times Campbell has spent much of his time giving occasional public talks and supporting his favourite football team, [[Burnley F.C.]]


In late 2005, the leadership speculation was renewed, with the journalist [[Andrew Neil]] claiming to speak "on good authority" that Kennedy would announce his resignation at the 2006 spring conference of the Liberal Democrats. Kennedy's spokeswoman denied the report and complained against the [[BBC]] which had broadcast it. After the election of the "more moderate" [[David Cameron]] as Leader of the Conservative Party in December 2005, it was widely reported that senior members of the Liberal Democrats had told Kennedy that he must either "raise his game" or resign.<ref>BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4525442.stm Anti-Kennedy briefings 'cowardly'] 14 December 2005</ref>
===2005===
Campbell worked once again for the Labour Party in the run up to the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|May 2005 General Election]]. Although never given any official title, he was effectively the party's director of communications for the campaign, directing the party's media work and closely advising Tony Blair, [[Gordon Brown]], [[Alan Milburn]] and [[John Reid (UK politician)|John Reid]] — who were the most prominent politicians in Labour's team.


On 13 December 2005, the BBC's Political Editor, [[Nick Robinson]], claimed that there were briefings against the leader, with members of his party unhappy at what they saw as 'lack of leadership' from Kennedy. A "Kennedy Must Go" petition was started by ''[[The Liberal]]'' magazine (a publication which has no affiliation to the Liberal Democrats) and allegedly had been signed by over 3,300 party members including 386 local councillors and two MPs by the end of 2005.<ref>BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4569012.stm Kennedy hits back over quit call] 30 December 2005</ref> A '[[Round-robin|round robin]]' letter signed by Liberal Democrat MPs rejecting his leadership received 23 signatures.<ref>''[[The Times]]'' (Andrew Pierce) [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,17129-1972024,00.html 'No confidence' letter from Lib Dems forced Kennedy to brink] 5 January 2006</ref>
[[Sir Clive Woodward]] recruited Campbell to manage relations with the press for the [[British and Irish Lions]] [[2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand|tour to New Zealand]] in 2005. The appointment proved to be controversial with Campbell being roundly criticised by many in the media for his predilection for [[spin (public relations)|spin]] (hence his nickname, Spin Supremo) and for his lack of rugby knowledge and experience. They also resented the fact that Campbell wrote an exclusive column for ''[[The Times]]'' during the tour, which they saw as a [[conflict of interest]]. However on the unsuccessful Lions' return to the British Isles, Woodward praised Campbell for having done a "fantastic job".


Responses to Kennedy's statement focused on his previous denials of any problems with alcohol. As recently as the [[Jonathan Dimbleby]] programme on [[ITV1]] on 18 December 2005 when asked "Has it been a battle to stay off the booze, have you had to have medical support in any way at all?" Kennedy replied "No, no, no, that is not the case, it is a matter on all fronts &ndash; if there's something my doctor really wants me to do over this holiday period as a matter of fact, is give up smoking and I think he's right". In 2002, the journalist [[Jeremy Paxman]] claimed Kennedy was often drunk, and asked him if he drank privately "by yourself, a bottle of whisky late at night?". "No I do not," Kennedy replied. The [[BBC]] apologised to Charles Kennedy; Paxman refused to endorse the apology. In 2004, ''[[The Times]]'' published a 'clarification' over a report it had made stating Kennedy had not taken part in that year's [[budget]] debate due to excessive drinking.<ref>''[[The Guardian]]'' (Claire Cozens) [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/libdems/story/0,9061,1331607,00.html Times apologises after Kennedy drink story] 20 October 2004</ref>
==Character and attitudes==
Campbell is generally regarded as believing in a more traditional form of Labour politics than Tony Blair. His partner, Fiona Millar, has openly opposed Labour policy on education, sending their children to [[Comprehensive school|comprehensive schools]]. Since his retirement from Downing Street, Campbell has been highly critical of political reporting, more specifically the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' and its editor [[Paul Dacre]]. Campbell attempted (without complete success) to shield his children from the press attention that their father's job attracted. When briefing the press, he was known for a no-nonsense approach, but did on occasion alleviate it with humour: after a series of notably poor predictions about a Government reshuffle he distributed [[Compact Disc|CDs]] by the band [[Garbage (band)|Garbage]] to those reporters who had made the most errors. "Garbagic" was the polite, made-up word Campbell used to describe a story he did not like.


On 6 January 2006, Kennedy was informed that [[ITN]] would be reporting that he had received treatment for alcoholism, and called a sudden news conference to make a personal statement confirming the story. He stated clearly that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem, but has sought ongoing professional help. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem, but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all.<ref>BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4582930.stm Kennedy admits battling alcohol] 5 January 2006</ref><ref>Liberal Democrats [http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/kennedy-calls-for-leadership-election.html Kennedy calls for leadership election] 5 January 2006</ref> It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned [[ITV News]] correspondent, [[Daisy McAndrew]].<ref>[http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/comment/How-Chatshow-Charlie-was-left.2740419.jp How Chatshow Charlie was left high and dry], ''Scotland on Sunday'', 8 January 2006</ref>
==Stage and screen portrayals==
A regular feature of ''[[Bremner, Bird and Fortune]]'' is a satirical version of Campbell's discussions with Tony Blair, in which [[Rory Bremner]] plays Blair and [[Andrew Dunn (actor)|Andrew Dunn]] plays Campbell. In 2005, Campbell was played by [[Jonathan Cake]] in the [[Channel 4]] television film ''[[The Government Inspector (television drama)|The Government Inspector]]'', based on the David Kelly Case. The following year, he was portrayed by [[Mark Beazley]] in the [[Stephen Frears]] film ''[[The Queen (film)|The Queen]]''. [[Alex Jennings]], who portrayed [[Prince Charles]] in ''[[The Queen (film)|The Queen]]'', portrayed Campbell in the television drama ''A Very Social Secretary''.


===Resignation and backbenches===
[[Peter Capaldi]]'s character, Malcolm Tucker (an aggressive, foul-mouthed Scottish Director of Communications), in the critically acclaimed 2005 BBC television satire, ''[[The Thick of It]]'', is thought to be directly based upon Campbell — however, the series' creator, [[Armando Iannucci]], has said that the character is a more general personification of a specific type of government official.
Following Kennedy's admission, a letter from twenty-five Liberal Democrat MPs, including nineteen frontbench members, was delivered to him. It stated that the signatories could no longer serve as front bench speakers under his leadership, or fill any vacancies, and gave a deadline of 9 January for him to make a decision before they resigned. Despite a combative interview in ''[[The Independent]]'' at which Kennedy described a decision to resign as a "dereliction of duty", on 6 January a large number of senior Liberal Democrats stated that his position was untenable. [[Chris Davies]], at that time the leader of Liberal Democrat Members of the [[European Parliament]], described him as "a dead man walking". A survey for [[BBC]] [[Newsnight]] found that more than half of Liberal Democrat MPs thought he should resign, and only 17 out of 62 MPs positively wanted him to stay, while 11 of his 23 frontbenchers wanted him to leave. Among those who thought he should go were [[Norman Lamb]] and [[Andrew George (politician)|Andrew George]], who had served as his [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]], and [[Matthew Taylor (politician)|Matthew Taylor]], the chairman of his 1999 leadership campaign.


At 3 pm on 7 January, Kennedy called a press conference where he announced that, whilst he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grassroot members, he felt that he could not continue because of the lack of confidence of the [[parliamentary party]]. He said he would not be a candidate in the leadership election, and that he would stand down as leader "with immediate effect", with [[Menzies Campbell]] acting as interim leader until a new leader was elected. He also confirmed in his resignation speech that he did not expect to remain on the [[Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team|frontbench]], pledging his loyalty to a new leader "as a [[Backbencher|backbench]]" MP, but that he wished to remain active in the party and politics. His leadership lasted slightly less than six years and five months.<ref>BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4590688.stm Embattled Kennedy quits as leader] 7 January 2006</ref>
An all-singing all-dancing Campbell was also portrayed by Ed Duncan Smith, son of former Conserative leader Iain, in [[Chris Bush (Playwright)|Chris Bush]] and Ian McCluskey's award-winning ''[[TONY! The Blair Musical]]'' (2007).


Campbell went on win the resulting [[Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2006|leadership election]] and Kennedy subsequently gave his successor full public support.<ref>BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4768088.stm Support for new Lib Dems leader] 2 March 2006</ref>
==Diaries published==
Throughout his time in Downing Street, Campbell kept a diary which reportedly totalled some two million words. Selected extracts, entitled ''[[The Blair Years]]'', were published on 9 July 2007. Perhaps predictably, subsequent press coverage of the book's release focused heavily on the issue of what Campbell had chosen to leave out, particularly in respect of the often allegedly fractious relationship between Blair and his Chancellor and successor, Gordon Brown. Campbell, who has expressed an intention to one day publish the diaries in fuller form, indicates in the introduction to the book that he did not wish to make matters harder for Brown in his new role as Prime Minister, or to damage the Labour Party.


Following his resignation Kennedy's first major political activity was to campaign in the [[Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, 2006|Dunfermline and West Fife by-election]], which the Liberal Democrats went on to win, taking a seat from Labour.<ref>BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4671042.stm Kennedy joins by-election drive] 2 February 2006</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}


On 22 June 2006, Kennedy made his first appearance in the national media after stepping down when he appeared on the [[BBC]]'s ''[[Question Time (TV series)|Question Time]]''. One of the questions on the show was about his possible return as leader, which he declined to rule out.<ref>BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5108254.stm Kennedy not ruling out his return] 22 June 2006</ref>
==Further reading==

* Campbell, Alastair (2007) ''[[The Blair Years]]''
On 4 August 2006, Kennedy hosted a documentary on [[Channel 4]] about what he saw as the increasing disenchantment felt by voters towards the main parties in British politics due to their hesitation to discuss the big issues, especially at election time, and the ruthless targeting of swing-voters in key constituencies at the expense of the majority. He also contributed an article covering the same issues to ''The Guardian'''s Comment Is Free section.<ref>''[[The Guardian]]'' [http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1837015,00.html How we lost people's trust] 4 August 2006</ref>
* Jones, Nicholas (2000). ''Sultans of Spin: The Media and the New Labour Government''. Orion Books. ISBN 0-75282-769-3.

* [[Peter oborne|Oborne, Peter]] and Simon Walters (2004). ''Alastair Campbell''. Aurum. ISBN 1-84513-001-4.
On 29 August 2006, ''[[The Times]]'' began serialising a biography of Kennedy, by journalist Greg Hurst. The book claimed that senior Liberal Democrats, including present leader Sir [[Menzies Campbell]], knew of Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected leader in 1999 and subsequently kept it hidden from the public.<ref>''[[The Times]]'' (Andrew Pierce) [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2332682,00.html Conspiracy and cover-up – how Lib Dems hid their leader's alcoholism] 29 August 2006</ref><ref>''[[The Times]]'' (Greg Hurst) [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2332517,00.html You are an alcoholic, aren't you? Yes, he finally replied] 29 August 2006</ref><ref>''[[The Times]]'' [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,542-2332351,00.html Curse of Kennedy: The former Lib Dem leader must be honest about his return to politics] 29 August 2006</ref>
* [[Andrew Rawnsley|Rawnsley, Andrew]] (2001). ''Servants of the People: The Inside Story of New Labour''. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-140-27850-8.

* [[Anthony Seldon|Seldon, Anthony]] (2005). ''Blair''. The Free Press. ISBN 0-7432-3212-7.
After Campbell resigned as Liberal Democrat leader on 15 October 2007, Kennedy said that it was "highly unlikely" that he would try to return as party leader, although he did not rule it out completely.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7048748.stm "Kennedy 'unlikely to run again'"], BBC News, October 17, 2007.</ref>

In September 2007, Charles Kennedy received unanimous support for the post of President of the [[European Movement]] in the UK, after the death of [[Sir Edward Heath]]. <ref>
{{Citation
| title = Charles Kennedy to be European Movement President
| newspaper = Euromove: The Newsletter of the European Movement
| pages = 1-2
| year = 2007
| date = Autumn 2007
}} </ref>

==Rector of University of Glasgow==

In February 2008, Charles Kennedy [[University of Glasgow Rectorial Election, 2008|won the election]] to become [[Rector of the University of Glasgow]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_68563_en.html |title=Rectorial Election result |accessdate=2008-02-27 }}</ref> and was officially installed, succeeding [[Mordechai Vanunu]], on 10 April 2008. He won the election with 11% of the electorate's vote and a 46% share of the 5108 who voted under the [[alternative vote]] system, having been uniquely supported by not only his own [[Glasgow University Union]], but also the [[Queen Margaret Union]] and [[Glasgow University Sports Association]].

==Personal life==
In July 2002, Charles Kennedy married Sarah Gurling, the sister of his best friend, James Gurling.<ref>BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2141472.stm In pictures: Charles Kennedy weds] 20 July 2002</ref>

Reports of Kennedy's ill-health in 2003 at the time of crucial debates on Iraq and after the 2004 budget (his ill health meant he missed an entire budget speech)<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3569985.stm Kennedy laughs off health fears] March 26 2004</ref> were linked to the rumours of alcoholism which were strenuously denied by himself and the party but which he subsequently admitted.

Sarah gave birth to their first child, Donald James Kennedy, at 12:14 am 12 April 2005, at [[St Thomas' Hospital]], [[London]]. Kennedy had been due to launch his party's [[manifesto]] for the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|General Election]], which was subsequently delayed, with Sir [[Menzies Campbell]] taking temporary charge as acting leader and covering Kennedy's campaign duties. During the manifesto launch on his first day back on the campaign trail after the birth, Kennedy struggled to remember the details of a key policy (replacing the [[Council Tax]] with a Local [[Income Tax]]) at an early morning press conference, which he later blamed on a lack of sleep due to his new child.

In July 2007, Kennedy was informally spoken to by the [[British Transport Police]] after he breached the [[Smoking ban in England|smoking ban]] on a train.<ref>[http://lifestyle.aol.co.uk/health/healthy-living/stop-smoking/kennedy-spoken-to-over-smoking/article/20070706141809990001 AOL, Kennedy 'spoken to over smoking' 6 July 2007]</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6278414.stm |title=Kennedy caught smoking on train |accessdate=2007-07-07 }}</ref>

==Bibliography==
*''The Future of Politics'' (2000) ISBN 0-00-710131-7 (hardcover) ISBN 0-00-710132-5 (paperback)
* Hurst, Greg ''Charles Kennedy: A Tragic Flaw'' Politico's Publishing Ltd (18 September 2006) ISBN 1-84275-176-X

== References ==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{wikisource author}}
*[http://www.alastaircampbelldiaries.co.uk Publisher's website for ''The Blair Years'']
*[http://www.charleskennedy.org.uk/ Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP] official site
*[http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/16446130?source=Evening%20Standard Evening Standard story on email blunder]
*[http://www.libdems.org.uk/people/charles-kennedy Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP] profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4699311.stm Campbell defiant over Lions role] - BBC, 20 July 2005
*[http://www.epolitix.com/EN/MPWebsites/Charles+Kennedy/ ePolitix.com - Charles Kennedy]
*[http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/rugby.cfm?id=790442005 Probyn pins the blame on Sir Clive and Campbell] - [[The Scotsman]], 12 July 2005
*[http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/charles_kennedy/ross%2C_skye_and_lochaber TheyWorkForYou.com - Charles Kennedy]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3191937.stm Report on Alastair Campbell's resignation] from ''BBC News''
*[http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Charles_Kennedy&mpc=Ross%2C+Skye+%26amp%3B+Lochaber The Public Whip - Charles Kennedy] voting record
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3023922.stm Alastair Campbell's BBC letter] about Andrew Gilligan, from ''BBC News''
*[http://editors.dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/Scotland/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Parties/Liberal_Democrats/MPs/Kennedy,_Charles/ Open Directory Project - Charles Kennedy] directory category
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3028250.stm Profile: Alastair Campbell], from ''BBC News''
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4527622.stm BBC News - Politics: Charles Kennedy] profile 7 January 2006
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/hutton/keyplayers/story/0,13842,1029115,00.html Witnesses: Alastair Campbell] from ''The Guardian'' includes testimony transcripts from the [[Hutton Inquiry]]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4588062.stm BBC News - Politics: Charles Kennedy: Life and Times] 7 January 2006
*[http://www.economist.com/people/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1877750 Article on Alastair Campbell's involvement in the Iraq WMD dossier inquiry] from ''The Economist''
*[http://www.slate.com/id/2134150/?nav=tap3 "The Pol Who Drank Too Much"], Slate.com, 11 January 2006.
*[http://mindout.clarity.uk.net/1in4/AC.asp Auto-biographical article on his experiences with depression and alcoholism] from ''Mindout''
*[http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=1105172006 Kennedy 'plotting leadership comeback'], ''[[Scotland on Sunday]]'', 30 July 2006
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4247237.stm Article reflecting Campbell's personality and colourful use of language] from ''BBC News''
*[http://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/officer/?id=6 University of Glasgow Story]
*[http://www.lrf.org.uk Leukaemia Research, the charity Alastair Campbell fundraises for]
*[http://www.radiowaves.co.uk/story.aspx?lngStoryID=16693 Students interview Charles Kennedy about British Identity for Radiowaves (2008)]


==Offices held==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Alastair}}

[[Category:1957 births]]
{{start box}}
{{s-par|uk}}

{{s-new|constituency|rows=3}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Member of Parliament]] for [[Ross, Cromarty and Skye (UK Parliament constituency)|Ross, Cromarty and Skye]]|years=[[United Kingdom general election, 1983|1983]]&ndash;[[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997]]}}
{{s-non|reason=Constituency abolished|rows=2}}
|-
{{s-ttl|title=[[Member of Parliament]] for [[Ross, Skye and Inverness West (UK Parliament constituency)|Ross, Skye and Inverness West]]|years=[[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997]]&ndash;[[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005]]}}
|-
{{s-ttl|title=[[Member of Parliament]] for [[Ross, Skye and Lochaber (UK Parliament constituency)|Ross, Skye and Lochaber]]|years=[[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005]]&ndash;present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{succession box |
title=[[Baby of the House]] |
years=1983&ndash;1987 |
before=[[Owen Carron]] |
after=[[Matthew Taylor (politician)|Matthew Taylor]] }}
{{s-ppo}}
{{succession box | title=President of the [[Liberal Democrats]] | before=[[Ian Wrigglesworth]] | after=[[Robert Maclennan]] | years=1990&ndash;1994}}
{{succession box |
title=[[Liberal Democrats|Leader of the British Liberal Democrats]] |
before=[[Paddy Ashdown]] |
years=1999&ndash;2006 |
after= [[Menzies Campbell]]}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box |
title=[[Rector of the University of Glasgow]] |
years=2008&ndash;present |
before=[[Mordechai Vanunu]] |
after= ''incumbent'' }}
{{end box}}
{{Leaders of the Liberal Democrats}}

<!--Categories
People persistently add him to categories based on the assumption that he is of Irish descent, but there is no evidence for this. He is a Catholic and has a Gaelic name, but there are small non-Irish Catholic communities in the Scottish Highlands.-->

<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->

{{Persondata
|NAME= Kennedy, Charles
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
|SHORT DESCRIPTION= [[politician]]
|DATE OF BIRTH= 1959-11-25
|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Inverness]], [[Scotland]]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Charles}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Anglo-Scots]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Glasgow]]
[[Category:Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Rectors of the University of Glasgow]]
[[Category:British newspaper editors]]
[[Category:Leaders of the UK Liberal Democrats]]
[[Category:Public relations people]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:People from Leicester]]
[[Category:Members of the United Kingdom Parliament from Highland constituencies]]
[[Category:Labour Party officials (UK)]]
[[Category:People from Inverness]]
[[Category:British special advisers]]
[[Category:Presidents of the UK Liberal Democrats]]
[[Category:Scottish journalists]]
[[Category:Scottish Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1983-1987]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1987-1992]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1992-1997]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1997-2001]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2001-2005]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2005-]]
[[Category:Social Democratic Party politicians (UK)]]
[[Category:Former university debaters]]


[[de:Alastair Campbell]]
[[da:Charles Kennedy]]
[[es:Alastair Campbell]]
[[de:Charles Kennedy]]
[[no:Alastair Campbell]]
[[es:Charles Kennedy]]
[[fr:Charles Kennedy]]
[[it:Charles Kennedy]]
[[ja:チャールズ・ケネディ]]
[[no:Charles Kennedy]]
[[pl:Charles Peter Kennedy]]
[[ru:Кеннеди, Чарльз Питер]]
[[sco:Charles Kennedy]]
[[sv:Charles Kennedy]]
[[zh:查尔斯·肯尼迪]]

Revision as of 23:23, 12 October 2008

For other people named Charles Kennedy, see Charles Kennedy (disambiguation).
The Right Honourable
Charles Kennedy
MP
Leader of the Liberal Democrats
In office
9 August 1999 – 7 January 2006
DeputyMenzies Campbell
Alan Beith
Preceded byPaddy Ashdown
Succeeded byMenzies Campbell
Member of Parliament
for Ross, Skye and Lochaber
Ross, Skye and Inverness West (1997-2005)
Assumed office
5 May 2005
Preceded bynew constituency
Majority14,249 (43.8%)
Personal details
Born (1959-11-25) 25 November 1959 (age 64)
Inverness, Scotland
NationalityBritish
Political party(1) SDP (1983-1988)
(2) Liberal Democrats (1988-Present)
SpouseSarah Gurling
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow
Websitewww.charleskennedy.org.uk

Charles Peter Kennedy (born 25 November 1959) is a British politician.

From 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006, he was the leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third largest political party in the United Kingdom.

In the 1983 General Election he stood for the Ross, Cromarty & Skye constituency, then held by the Conservative MP and Minister, Hamish Gray. In a shock result, Kennedy was elected (for the SDP): at 23, he became the youngest MP in the House of Commons. Ambitious and popular, he quickly emerged as a potential party leader. In 1994, by which time the SDP and the Liberal Party had merged, he became President of the Liberal Democrats - a position he held for four years. In 1999, on the resignation of Paddy Ashdown, Kennedy was elected party leader.

He took the party through two General Elections. However, he faced criticism for his laid-back leadership style, and there was considerable speculation regarding his alcohol consumption. From December 2005, some within the party were questioning his leadership and calling for a leadership election. On 5 January 2006, Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem. Kennedy decided to pre-empt the broadcast and admit his drinking problem openly. He called a leadership election at the same time, stating that he intended to stand. The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing within the parliamentary party. As support for him amongst this key group ebbed away, Kennedy resigned as leader on 7 January, saying that he would not be standing in the leadership election. Deputy leader Sir Menzies Campbell took over as interim leader and was elected as leader on 2 March 2006.

Early life

Born in Inverness, Scotland, and raised as a Roman Catholic, Charles Kennedy was educated at Lochaber High School, in Fort William. There, he was known for taking part in the school's mock elections that ran at the same time as the real elections.

Kennedy went on to study for a Master of Arts degree in Politics and Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. At university, he became politically active, joining the Dialectic Society (a debating club), but he was not a member of the Labour Club. He was elected president of Glasgow University Union (GUU) and won the British Observer Mace university debating award. GUU was the last all-male student union in the UK; during his time on the board it is claimed that Kennedy opposed admitting women as members - he has personally denied this. Shortly after, he joined the Social Democrats (SDP).

Upon graduation in 1982, he went to work for BBC Highland as a journalist, and later received a Fulbright Fellowship. This allowed him to carry out research at Indiana University in the United States, on the speeches and writings of Roy Jenkins.

Member of Parliament

While studying in America he also received the Social Democratic Party (SDP) nomination for the Scottish seat of Ross, Cromarty and Skye, which he went on to win in 1983, becoming the youngest sitting Member of Parliament. He has retained the seat and its successor, Ross, Skye and Inverness West, at five subsequent general elections. He is the Liberal Democrat MP for the seat which replaced it in 2005, Ross, Skye and Lochaber.

In the late 1980s the SDP and the Liberal Party, which had been co-operating in the SDP-Liberal Alliance, merged to form the Social and Liberal Democratic Party, later renamed the Liberal Democrats. Kennedy was the first of the five SDP MPs to support the merger; in his book "Time To Declare" David Owen suggests this was due to pressure from Liberal activists in his constituency.

Kennedy served as a frontbencher for the Lib Dems in a variety of posts, including social security, agriculture and rural affairs, health, Scotland and Europe. He was also party president for four years, between 1990 and 1994.

Leader of Liberal Democrats

On 9 August 1999, Charles Kennedy was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats after the retirement of Paddy Ashdown; he beat Jackie Ballard, Malcolm Bruce, Simon Hughes and David Rendel. He won 57% of the transferred vote under the Alternative Vote system (Simon Hughes, the runner-up, won 43% of the vote).

Kennedy's style of leadership differed from Ashdown's, being regarded as more conversational and "laid back". Although he has been dismissed as "Chatshow Charlie" by some observers, as a result of his appearances on the satirical panel game Have I Got News for You, opinion polls showed him to be regarded positively as a party leader and potential Prime Minister by a significant fraction of the British electorate. He had made many appearances on HIGNFY prior to his election as leader; and subsequently became the first serving leader of one of the three main parties to appear on the show. He then went on to guest as a host of it.

Kennedy maintained the long-standing aspiration for his party to break through to the status of official opposition. In his first major campaign, the 2001 general election, the Liberal Democrats improved their share of the vote to 18.3%, 1.5% more than in the 1997 election. Although this was a smaller share than the 25.4% the SDP/Liberal Alliance achieved in 1983, the Lib Dems won 52 seats compared to the Alliance's 23. In his last General Election as leader, in May 2005, the Liberal Democrats won 62 seats, their greatest number of seats since the 1920s, gaining 22.1% of the vote.

Kennedy has also spoken out in favour of lowering the British drinking age from 18 to 16, as well as supporting lowering the voting age from 18 down to 16.

Kennedy during the 2005 election campaign.

Kennedy, along with his "election guru" Lord Rennard, targeted the Lib Dems' campaigning on a limited number of seats in such a way as to turn a lower level of national support into a greater number of Parliamentary seats. He extended this strategy at the 2005 General Election targeting the seats held by the most senior and/or highly regarded Conservative MPs, dubbed a "decapitation" strategy, with the expectation that without these "key" figures, the Conservatives would be discredited as the Official Opposition allowing Charles Kennedy and the Liberal Democrats to claim that they are the "effective Opposition".

However, this strategy is widely seen to have failed. At the 2005 General Election, the Liberal Democrats failed to unseat leading Conservatives such as the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Oliver Letwin, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, Shadow Secretary of State for the Family Theresa May and the Leader of the Opposition Michael Howard. The biggest "scalp" the Liberal Democrats managed to claim was that of the Shadow Education Secretary Tim Collins in Westmorland and Lonsdale. This was one of only three seats the Liberal Democrats won from the Conservatives, the others being Solihull and Taunton.

At the same time, the Lib Dems also hoped to capture marginal Labour seats, attracting Labour voters (particularly Muslim voters) who were dissatisfied because of the invasion of Iraq which Kennedy's party had opposed; the party had succeeded with this tactic in by-elections, taking Brent East and Leicester South from Labour. The Party did succeed to some extent in this aim, winning particularly in student areas such as Bristol, Cardiff and Manchester, but did not see the breakthrough some expected in areas with large Asian populations, even losing Leicester South.

In the 2005 election the party succeeded in regaining the seat of Ceredigion, its first gain from the Welsh Party Plaid Cymru. Overall Kennedy's party achieved a total of 62 seats, their highest number since 1923 with 22% of the overall vote.

In the wake of the General Election, Kennedy's leadership came under increased criticism from those who felt that the Liberal Democrats could have surged forward at a time when, arguably, the Official Opposition, the Conservative Party, were in a relatively weak position. Many pointed the finger of blame at Kennedy for failing to widen the Party's appeal while others, like the former Deputy Chairman of the Federal Liberal Democrat Party, Donnachadh McCarthy, resigned from the Party citing the party's shift to the right of the political spectrum under Kennedy in pursuit of Conservative votes. Under the party's rules, a leader has to stand for re-election within a year of a general election. Kennedy handed out the ballot papers to the parliamentary party within days of the 2005 election, leaving no time for anyone to mount a challenge, and allowing him to be re-elected unopposed. There was much speculation at the time as to whether he would have survived a challenge[citation needed].

In late 2005, the leadership speculation was renewed, with the journalist Andrew Neil claiming to speak "on good authority" that Kennedy would announce his resignation at the 2006 spring conference of the Liberal Democrats. Kennedy's spokeswoman denied the report and complained against the BBC which had broadcast it. After the election of the "more moderate" David Cameron as Leader of the Conservative Party in December 2005, it was widely reported that senior members of the Liberal Democrats had told Kennedy that he must either "raise his game" or resign.[1]

On 13 December 2005, the BBC's Political Editor, Nick Robinson, claimed that there were briefings against the leader, with members of his party unhappy at what they saw as 'lack of leadership' from Kennedy. A "Kennedy Must Go" petition was started by The Liberal magazine (a publication which has no affiliation to the Liberal Democrats) and allegedly had been signed by over 3,300 party members including 386 local councillors and two MPs by the end of 2005.[2] A 'round robin' letter signed by Liberal Democrat MPs rejecting his leadership received 23 signatures.[3]

Responses to Kennedy's statement focused on his previous denials of any problems with alcohol. As recently as the Jonathan Dimbleby programme on ITV1 on 18 December 2005 when asked "Has it been a battle to stay off the booze, have you had to have medical support in any way at all?" Kennedy replied "No, no, no, that is not the case, it is a matter on all fronts – if there's something my doctor really wants me to do over this holiday period as a matter of fact, is give up smoking and I think he's right". In 2002, the journalist Jeremy Paxman claimed Kennedy was often drunk, and asked him if he drank privately "by yourself, a bottle of whisky late at night?". "No I do not," Kennedy replied. The BBC apologised to Charles Kennedy; Paxman refused to endorse the apology. In 2004, The Times published a 'clarification' over a report it had made stating Kennedy had not taken part in that year's budget debate due to excessive drinking.[4]

On 6 January 2006, Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for alcoholism, and called a sudden news conference to make a personal statement confirming the story. He stated clearly that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem, but has sought ongoing professional help. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem, but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all.[5][6] It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned ITV News correspondent, Daisy McAndrew.[7]

Resignation and backbenches

Following Kennedy's admission, a letter from twenty-five Liberal Democrat MPs, including nineteen frontbench members, was delivered to him. It stated that the signatories could no longer serve as front bench speakers under his leadership, or fill any vacancies, and gave a deadline of 9 January for him to make a decision before they resigned. Despite a combative interview in The Independent at which Kennedy described a decision to resign as a "dereliction of duty", on 6 January a large number of senior Liberal Democrats stated that his position was untenable. Chris Davies, at that time the leader of Liberal Democrat Members of the European Parliament, described him as "a dead man walking". A survey for BBC Newsnight found that more than half of Liberal Democrat MPs thought he should resign, and only 17 out of 62 MPs positively wanted him to stay, while 11 of his 23 frontbenchers wanted him to leave. Among those who thought he should go were Norman Lamb and Andrew George, who had served as his Parliamentary Private Secretary, and Matthew Taylor, the chairman of his 1999 leadership campaign.

At 3 pm on 7 January, Kennedy called a press conference where he announced that, whilst he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grassroot members, he felt that he could not continue because of the lack of confidence of the parliamentary party. He said he would not be a candidate in the leadership election, and that he would stand down as leader "with immediate effect", with Menzies Campbell acting as interim leader until a new leader was elected. He also confirmed in his resignation speech that he did not expect to remain on the frontbench, pledging his loyalty to a new leader "as a backbench" MP, but that he wished to remain active in the party and politics. His leadership lasted slightly less than six years and five months.[8]

Campbell went on win the resulting leadership election and Kennedy subsequently gave his successor full public support.[9]

Following his resignation Kennedy's first major political activity was to campaign in the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, which the Liberal Democrats went on to win, taking a seat from Labour.[10]

On 22 June 2006, Kennedy made his first appearance in the national media after stepping down when he appeared on the BBC's Question Time. One of the questions on the show was about his possible return as leader, which he declined to rule out.[11]

On 4 August 2006, Kennedy hosted a documentary on Channel 4 about what he saw as the increasing disenchantment felt by voters towards the main parties in British politics due to their hesitation to discuss the big issues, especially at election time, and the ruthless targeting of swing-voters in key constituencies at the expense of the majority. He also contributed an article covering the same issues to The Guardian's Comment Is Free section.[12]

On 29 August 2006, The Times began serialising a biography of Kennedy, by journalist Greg Hurst. The book claimed that senior Liberal Democrats, including present leader Sir Menzies Campbell, knew of Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected leader in 1999 and subsequently kept it hidden from the public.[13][14][15]

After Campbell resigned as Liberal Democrat leader on 15 October 2007, Kennedy said that it was "highly unlikely" that he would try to return as party leader, although he did not rule it out completely.[16]

In September 2007, Charles Kennedy received unanimous support for the post of President of the European Movement in the UK, after the death of Sir Edward Heath. [17]

Rector of University of Glasgow

In February 2008, Charles Kennedy won the election to become Rector of the University of Glasgow[18] and was officially installed, succeeding Mordechai Vanunu, on 10 April 2008. He won the election with 11% of the electorate's vote and a 46% share of the 5108 who voted under the alternative vote system, having been uniquely supported by not only his own Glasgow University Union, but also the Queen Margaret Union and Glasgow University Sports Association.

Personal life

In July 2002, Charles Kennedy married Sarah Gurling, the sister of his best friend, James Gurling.[19]

Reports of Kennedy's ill-health in 2003 at the time of crucial debates on Iraq and after the 2004 budget (his ill health meant he missed an entire budget speech)[20] were linked to the rumours of alcoholism which were strenuously denied by himself and the party but which he subsequently admitted.

Sarah gave birth to their first child, Donald James Kennedy, at 12:14 am 12 April 2005, at St Thomas' Hospital, London. Kennedy had been due to launch his party's manifesto for the General Election, which was subsequently delayed, with Sir Menzies Campbell taking temporary charge as acting leader and covering Kennedy's campaign duties. During the manifesto launch on his first day back on the campaign trail after the birth, Kennedy struggled to remember the details of a key policy (replacing the Council Tax with a Local Income Tax) at an early morning press conference, which he later blamed on a lack of sleep due to his new child.

In July 2007, Kennedy was informally spoken to by the British Transport Police after he breached the smoking ban on a train.[21][22]

Bibliography

  • The Future of Politics (2000) ISBN 0-00-710131-7 (hardcover) ISBN 0-00-710132-5 (paperback)
  • Hurst, Greg Charles Kennedy: A Tragic Flaw Politico's Publishing Ltd (18 September 2006) ISBN 1-84275-176-X

References

  1. ^ BBC Anti-Kennedy briefings 'cowardly' 14 December 2005
  2. ^ BBC Kennedy hits back over quit call 30 December 2005
  3. ^ The Times (Andrew Pierce) 'No confidence' letter from Lib Dems forced Kennedy to brink 5 January 2006
  4. ^ The Guardian (Claire Cozens) Times apologises after Kennedy drink story 20 October 2004
  5. ^ BBC Kennedy admits battling alcohol 5 January 2006
  6. ^ Liberal Democrats Kennedy calls for leadership election 5 January 2006
  7. ^ How Chatshow Charlie was left high and dry, Scotland on Sunday, 8 January 2006
  8. ^ BBC Embattled Kennedy quits as leader 7 January 2006
  9. ^ BBC Support for new Lib Dems leader 2 March 2006
  10. ^ BBC Kennedy joins by-election drive 2 February 2006
  11. ^ BBC Kennedy not ruling out his return 22 June 2006
  12. ^ The Guardian How we lost people's trust 4 August 2006
  13. ^ The Times (Andrew Pierce) Conspiracy and cover-up – how Lib Dems hid their leader's alcoholism 29 August 2006
  14. ^ The Times (Greg Hurst) You are an alcoholic, aren't you? Yes, he finally replied 29 August 2006
  15. ^ The Times Curse of Kennedy: The former Lib Dem leader must be honest about his return to politics 29 August 2006
  16. ^ "Kennedy 'unlikely to run again'", BBC News, October 17, 2007.
  17. ^ "Charles Kennedy to be European Movement President", Euromove: The Newsletter of the European Movement, pp. 1–2, Autumn 2007{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  18. ^ "Rectorial Election result". Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  19. ^ BBC In pictures: Charles Kennedy weds 20 July 2002
  20. ^ Kennedy laughs off health fears March 26 2004
  21. ^ AOL, Kennedy 'spoken to over smoking' 6 July 2007
  22. ^ "Kennedy caught smoking on train". Retrieved 2007-07-07.

External links

Wikisource has original works by or about:
Charles Kennedy

Offices held

Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament for Ross, Cromarty and Skye
1983–1997 		Constituency abolished
Member of Parliament for Ross, Skye and Inverness West
1997–2005
Member of Parliament for Ross, Skye and Lochaber
2005–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Baby of the House
1983–1987 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by President of the Liberal Democrats
1990–1994 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the British Liberal Democrats
1999–2006 		Succeeded by
Academic offices
Preceded by Rector of the University of Glasgow
2008–present 		Succeeded by
incumbent


Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alastair_Campbell&oldid=244870702"