GREG HURST

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Charles Kennedy: A Tragic Flaw

ISBN-13 : 978-0413777898

 

My biography of Charles Kennedy, the late Liberal Democrat leader, was republished in paperback in 2015 after he died from a haemorrhage as a consequence of his long struggle with alcoholism. 

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I originally wrote the book in 2006 shortly after he was forced to step down as the head of his party after a revolt by his MPs and others. His leadership of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to early 2006 came during a pivotal period in British politics: he was the only leader of a UK-wide party to oppose Tony Blair's invasion of Iraq with George W Bush in 2003. At that moment the traditional hold of two-party politics began to fray,  and Kennedy led the Lib Dems to their biggest representation since the war with 62 MPs. I reported throughout this period as a political correspondent and knew Charles Kennedy well. 

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On his death I wrote another two chapters for the book chronicling Kennedy's search for a new role in politics and his ultimately unsuccessful efforts to give up drinking and reflected on his position as the first of a new type of anti-politicians whose personal appeal eclipsed that of their party.