Charles Kennedy MP
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The Right Honourable Charles Kennedy |
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Kennedy in 2006
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| Leader of the Liberal Democrats | |
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In office 9 August 1999 – 7 January 2006 |
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| Deputy |
Ming Campbell Alan Beith |
| Preceded by | Paddy Ashdown |
| Succeeded by | Ming Campbell |
| Liberal Democrat Leader of the House of Commons | |
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In office 1 May 1997 – 9 August 1999 |
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| Leader | Paddy Ashdown |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Alan Beith |
| President of the Liberal Democrats | |
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In office 1 January 1991 – 31 December 1994 |
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| Leader | Paddy Ashdown |
| Preceded by | Ian Wrigglesworth |
| Succeeded by | Robert Maclennan |
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Member of Parliament for Ross, Skye and Lochaber Ross, Skye and Inverness West (1997–2005) Ross, Cromarty and Skye (1983–1997) |
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In office 9 June 1983 – 7 May 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Ian Blackford |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Charles Peter Kennedy 25 November 1959 Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland |
| Died | 1 June 2015 (aged 55) Fort William, Highland, Scotland |
| Political party |
Labour Party (1974–1981) Social Democratic Party (1981-1988) Liberal Democrats (1988–2015) (his death) |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Gurling (2002–2010) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow |
Charles Peter Kennedy (25 November 1959 – 1 June 2015) was a BritishLiberal Democrat politician, who was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to 2006 and a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1983 to 2015, latterly for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency.
Kennedy was a member of three political parties. At the age of fifteen, he joined the Labour Party, followed in 1981 by the newly formed SDP (Social Democratic Party), and in 1988, the Liberal Democrats, when the SDP merged with the Liberal Party.
At the 1983 general election, Kennedy was elected for the SDP at the age of 23. He quickly emerged as a potential party leader, and in 1991, after the SDP and Liberal Party had formally merged, he became President of the Liberal Democrats, a position he held for the next four years.
In 1999, after the resignation of Paddy Ashdown, Kennedy was elected leader, at the age of 39. He led the party through two general elections increasing their seats in the House of Commons to their highest level since 1923, and led his party's opposition to the Iraq War. A charismatic and affable speaker in public, he appeared extensively on television while leader.
During the latter stages of Kennedy's leadership, there was concern about both his leadership and his health. From December 2005 some within the party were openly questioning his position and calling for a leadership election. On 5 January 2006 he was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem and pre-empted the broadcast by admitting that he had had treatment and called a leadership election in which he intended to stand. This admission damaged his standing and 25 MPs signed a statement urging him to resign immediately, which he did on 7 January; he was replaced by Menzies Campbell.
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