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The government's instinct is to shroud itself in secrecy - to act like the office of a president instead of as a collective cabinet government held to account by the elected House of Commons.
Charles Kennedy -
I'm a lifelong believer in trade unionism.
Charles Kennedy
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That 1983 general election contained the telltale seeds of eventual Scottish Tory self-destruction.
Charles Kennedy -
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.
Charles Kennedy -
You won't catch Liberal Democrats describing trade unionists as wreckers.
Charles Kennedy -
Gratification and happiness are becoming important measures of our quality of life.
Charles Kennedy -
The way to defeat international terrorism is through international cooperation based on international law, clear intelligence, and a measured and appropriate military response.
Charles Kennedy -
We have a Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales, both elected by fairer votes - involving proportional representation.
Charles Kennedy
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To run an effective political party you need a degree of tribalism, it's the glue that holds everyone together.
Charles Kennedy -
Ours is a stable country. Ours is a sensible country. And ours is a fundamentally decent country.
Charles Kennedy -
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.
Charles Kennedy -
Politics is much too serious to be taken too seriously; equally, there are many aspects of it so laughable as to be lamentable.
Charles Kennedy -
Soon after the 1997 election, I argued that there was no inverse law of political gravity which said that everything which went down had to come back up.
Charles Kennedy -
Those who use our public services should be able to deal directly with those who manage and deliver them.
Charles Kennedy
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Courage is a peculiar kind of fear.
Charles Kennedy -
Fair votes - fundamentally - are about the rights and the interests of the people.
Charles Kennedy -
Actually, I think it's quite sensible not to take yourself too seriously.
Charles Kennedy -
During my campaign, people of my age and younger said consistently that they would not vote because their votes simply no longer matter and because no government or member of Parliament cared a whit about their problems and their striving for employment.
Charles Kennedy -
We need a liberal agenda in which government resists the temptation to interfere in the lives of individuals but is equally determined to play an active role where creative action can advance the liberties of all.
Charles Kennedy -
The growing influence of focus groups means we are all in danger of being excessively cowed by their feedback.
Charles Kennedy
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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.
Charles Kennedy -
We are no longer a nation of one church; we are a nation of many churches.
Charles Kennedy -
Professionally I would say taking up my constituents' problems is something I continue to enjoy after 22 years as an MP.
Charles Kennedy -
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.
Charles Kennedy