Charles Kennedy, 1959-2015.

I’m a Liberal Democrat.

I mean, that’s not all what I am but by literal definition I am a ‘Liberal’ and I am a ‘Democrat’. I believe in internal radicalism – where one may challenge the institution from the inside and change it from the inside. I believe, under a reformed electoral system, we will live in a fundamentally fairer and better represented society. I believe in Open government along with strong social justice tendencies. Through defeating the plights of economic injustice, I think we can find ourselves dismantling several social and cultural injustices around us. From what was said in the ‘launching video’ of the Liberal Democrat Party’s video in 1988, I subscribed to several of those ideas.

Trouble is, being a Liberal Democrat in the last five years hasn’t been easy. We’ve often felt betrayed, lied to, that we’ve been sold out by a bunch of Machiavellian scoundrels, to put it more…academically. Our former leader (and technically still current) Nick Clegg sold out the party’s principles for a part in the game. We turned back to our short but interesting history to the many figures who helped build the Party and wonder if they despair at the choice that Clegg makes? Does Roy Jenkins shake his head from somewhere? One man I know did despair to some degree, for he is the only member of the Party to have openly voted against the Coalition in 2010, has just passed away.

That man was Charles Kennedy.

I've been a member of this party, on and off, since I was 13/14. I followed the coverage as we entered Coalition, I saw how internally and externally we battled. To me, Kennedy is a towering figure from a hopeful yesteryear. The sort of man we wanted to lead now. And the sort of man we hoped we arrive in our future. When I, as a Quaker, learnt of his plight against the Iraq War my respect for him grew more and more. I think, even if you’re unfamiliar with Kennedy, we all want men and women like him in politics. Here he was, in all his humane glory. He suffered a very difficult illness while leading his party, a party which he had helped build over some two decades.

Despite his youth, Charles Kennedy still managed to connect with the people of his constituency thanks to his immense personal touch in his politics. He really set up the idea of “there is another option” for people in politics and for myself as a young person, he helped establish that there can be more than just the same old, same old Tory/Labour. Perhaps without me realising, he joins a list of people who have helped me find a political voice and indeed, helped me formulate views. To me he devised the idea of modern, “sensiblepolitik.” 

And for that I thank you – for you have left with me an immense political hope and to understand that issues are not always so black & white.