Top 88 Charles Kennedy Quotes

There stands no contradiction between giving voice to legitimate anxiety and at the same time, as and when exchange of fire commences, looking to the rest of the country, as well as all of us in the House, to give full moral support to our forces.

The late Roy Jenkins was both a mentor and a personal friend. He was a man of both phenomenal intellect and political achievement in equal measure.

There is no satisfaction to be derived from having had many of our arguments borne out by events.

For any new leader of any party at any given time it takes time if you are not in government to establish yourself.

I happen to consider myself a Highlander even before a Scot; I am proud to be British yet feel comfortable as a European citizen.

Yes, you need substance in politics – but I think your style also says something about how you arrive at some of your conclusions.

Politics is much too serious to be taken too seriously; equally, there are many aspects of it so laughable as to be lamentable.

I don’t want a headline saying ‘Kennedy suggests this or implies that.’

When human rights are systematically abused, it raises the question whether it may be legitimate in some circumstances for the international community to intervene within individual states as well as in conflicts between states.

Only the Liberal Democrats have probed the government’s failings consistently, thoroughly and effectively.

As someone who has led his party through two general elections, I have not always been immune from feeling the pressure of electioneering tactics.

Public perception of the Westminster arena, with all its posturings, does little to engender a sense of voter belief.

People have a huge desire to be listened to, for politicians to take the time to understand their problems.

I know from my own parents how important active older people are to a local community.

It is true that I entered parliament at the age of 23, and have now been representing the people of my constituency for over twenty years.

We Liberal Democrats believe in dialogue. We believe in cooperation with both sides of industry and between both sides of industry. And we believe in the language of cooperation. We reject the language of confrontation.

With every day that passes, David Blunkett becomes more insensitive in his language and more intemperate in his actions.

Labour politicians for generations have fought to bring democracy to the House of Lords.

Britain is a European power. We cannot change our geography. Our involvement in the politics of European cooperation is one of necessity. Our wealth and our security depend upon it.

To run an effective political party you need a degree of tribalism, it’s the glue that holds everyone together.

We need less theoretical debate and more practical application and acknowledgment of what Europe can and does do so that it is brought home to people in a relevant way.

I’m not someone who dwells upon past events, taking the view that life is too short.

Ours is a stable country. Ours is a sensible country. And ours is a fundamentally decent country.

We actually believe in hope. But hope requires purpose. And purpose requires direction.

Speaking to numerous teachers and nurses, I am consistently struck by the sense of mission they have about their work.

Liberals have been committed to the principles of human rights, international stability, and international justice. They have also sought international solutions to those problems which have demanded collective attention.

As I spread my wings in politics, I discovered many Thatcher voters down south who were the same kind of people who loathed her in Scotland. They were puzzled by the Scots’ antipathy, given the Falklands war and the strong militaristic history of the Highlands and elsewhere.

When power is exercised exclusively at the centre, the result is rigidity of rules and alienation of the people subject to those rules.

We believe that government in Britain should improve the quality of people’s lives and improve the quality of our public services in every local community.

I should do something about the cigarettes; I quite accept that it’s bad for your health, but you know a moderate tipple is positively beneficial and, at certain times, absolutely essential.

Quality of life actually begins at home – it’s in your street, around your community.

People are not stupid.

Just as we Liberal Democrats opposed the flawed logic of that war in Iraq – we will oppose the flawed government claim that we have to surrender our fundamental rights in order to improve our security.

Gratification and happiness are becoming important measures of our quality of life.

I do think there is a great deal of caricature around the House of Commons. It is just that kind of place.

It is the government’s fundamental duty to ensure the security of every individual citizen.

We must restore faith in politics. Reform of the House of Lords is only one part of the answer, but it is a vital one.

Many people want to scale back their working hours as they near the end of their careers, but not necessarily to give up work altogether.

I am genuinely not an over-the-top kind of person about politics or anything else.

We believe that government in Britain is there to protect people from terrorism and from the worst criminality, but never at the expense of our civil liberties and the basic tenets of our legal system.

Music and politics are in essence about communication. Without over-stretching the analogy I do feel a sense of rhythm is important in getting your message across.

The growing influence of focus groups means we are all in danger of being excessively cowed by their feedback.

Democracy demands trust. It demands that sense of mutual understanding. And – it’s a two way street. You’ve got to give – as much as you take.

I have always considered myself of the reforming centre-left.

We want a strong, vibrant economy for Britain so that we can set out a clear and affordable alternative programme for government.

A smaller-size party and parliamentary membership does not necessarily equate to lesser demands; if anything, the opposite can be the case.

In my view, as a country we need to rediscover some of that skepticism about government and revisit that libertarian agenda.

Politics means facing up to hard choices and facing down prejudice, short-termism, the easy, tempting court of knee-jerk public reaction.

To be seen to be human, provided you’re doing your job at the same time, is definitely not a negative, not at all.

I listened to the students on campus in Plymouth, worried about their steadily deepening debts and how on earth they would ever escape them.

My approach is always to try to be straight with people, especially about what my party can achieve.

That 1983 general election contained the telltale seeds of eventual Scottish Tory self-destruction.

We should have high expectations of our children, but politicians should not tell teachers how to meet them.

Decentralisation is controversial – but that’s fine. We should be fearless about having a debate.

Terrorism gravely threatens international peace and security, and as a solution, the power and apparent finality of force are seductive.

We’ll need to revise the tired assumption that people automatically become more conservative as they grow older.

The one thing we can all be sure about in politics is you are as well to expect the unexpected.

‘Federalism’, in the context of political and media usage in Britain, has come to mean the creation and imposition of a European superstate, one centralised in Brussels.

It would be a tragedy if the remarkable international coalition against terrorism, successfully marshalled in the aftermath of 11 September, were to fragment over a unilateral U.S. strike against Baghdad.

It’s our job as Liberal Democrats to be an effective opposition – and an increasingly tough one as well.

We believe that government in Britain should be working to restore our reputation on the international stage after Iraq and engage better within Europe.

You won’t catch Liberal Democrats describing trade unionists as wreckers.

I couldn’t imagine a day without music. It relaxes and stimulates me in equal measure and I hate the sound of silence – the concept, I mean, not the track by Simon and Garfunkel.

Good political leadership for me involves getting the big decisions right – however difficult, however controversial, however potentially divisive – and then being able to take people with you.

I want to see far more decisions taken far closer to the patients, the passengers and the pupils. Far more power for locally and regionally elected politicians who understand best the needs of their areas. And far more say too for the dedicated staff at all levels in health and education.

We opposed unlimited detention without trial. We stood up for trial by jury as well. And of course we spoke up for asylum seekers and for the most vulnerable in our society.