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Charles Peter Kennedy (25 November 1959 – 1 June 2015) was a British Liberal 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. At the 1983 general election, Kennedy was elected for the Social Democratic Party (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. 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. After resigning as party leader Kennedy remained in office as a backbench MP. After the 2010 general election he voted against Nick Clegg's decision to form a coalition with the Conservative Party. On constitutional reform he was a long-term supporter of full home rule for Scotland within a federal United Kingdom within a federal Europe. He lost his seat at the 2015 general election, and died less than a month later from a haemorrhage linked to his alcoholism.〔 ==Early life== Kennedy was born in Inverness, the son of Mary and Ian. He was raised as a Roman Catholic, and was educated at Lochaber High School in Fort William. He went on to study for a Master of Arts degree in Politics and Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. At university he became politically active, joining the SDP, as well as the Dialectic Society.〔 In 1982 he won the Observer Mace debating competition, speaking with Clark McGinn. Upon graduation in 1982 Kennedy went to work for BBC Scotland as a journalist. He later received a Fulbright Fellowship which allowed him to carry out research at Indiana University in the United States. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Charles Kennedy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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