Charles Kennedy

Charles Kennedy became the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party in the United Kingdom in 1999. At that time Mr. Kennedy was only 39 years old, having been in Parliament for 16 years. Elected at 23 to be a Minister of Parliament, Kennedy was one of the youngest MPs to be elected.

Kennedy has always been known to have a quick wit and a laid back approach that led people to like him. He was also known imbibe a bit, and eventually this would lead to his undoing as the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party.

In the 1990s, Kennedy built a reputation in the public eye by appearing on talk shows and other TV appearances, earning the nickname Chatshow Charlie. His public persona was enough to help him win the election to lead his party in 1999.

As the leader of the Liberal Democrats, his first move was to unshackle the party from the bounds of the Labour Party which they had worked with regarding electoral reform and the European Union. Kennedy led the Lib Dems to set themselves apart through policies on taxation, the environment, and the UK’s role in the EU.

Kennedy found success early on leading the Lib Dems and in the 2001 general election they captured 18.3% of the vote, better than they had done in the last election of 2007.

Kennedy and the Lib Dems opposed the Gulf War from the outset although they were vocally and publicly supportive of the troops. Many feel this principled decision led the Lib Dems to capture 62 seats in the 2005 election, the highest since the 1920s.