Winning his seat (1983)(01 of10)
Open Image ModalAt the 1983 general election, Kennedy stood for the for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ross, Cromarty and Skye in Scotland, and won in a shock victory over the incumbent, Conservative Hamish Gray. He would hold the seat until the 2015 General Election, though its boundaries changed twice and it is now Ross, Skye and Lochaber. (credit:REX)
The maiden speech (1983)(02 of10)
Open Image ModalKennedy was just 23 when he entered parliament, becoming the 'Baby of the House'. He gave his maiden speech, speaking for the first time in the House of Commons, in a debate about young people on 15 July 1983.
He spoke about youth unemployment and equality, saying: "There is a yawning gap in outlook between those who have a job and those who have not. Some Ministers are fond of talking about a return to Victorian values. We must realise that those Victorian values are being expressed by some of the younger people in this society in shameful and disturbing disregard for other members of their generation who are not as fortunate as they are in having a job. That is disturbing for a Government of any political complexion."
He also called for electoral reform, and a more compassionate government, telling MPs: "Under the present system many people are effectively disfranchised... However, voluntary disfranchisement is also taking place. 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." (credit:Press Association)
Elected Lib Dem leader (1999)(03 of10)
Open Image ModalAfter the SDP and Liberal party merged in 1988, Kennedy was elected leader in 1999, after then leader Paddy Ashdown resigned.
Kennedy was at the helm of the third largest political party in Britain. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Leading the Lib Dems through two elections (2001 and 2005)(04 of10)
Open Image ModalKennedy would lead the party to led the party to its greatest ever electoral success: winning 62 seats in the 2005 election - a vast number in comparison to the current 8 Lib Dem seats. (credit:Sean Dempsey/PA Archive)
Marrying Sarah (2002)(05 of10)
Open Image ModalIn July 2002, he married Sarah Gurling, the sister of his friend James Gurling. The couple have a young son, Donald, now aged 10. (credit:Press Association)
Taking a stand against the Iraq war (2003)(06 of10)
Open Image ModalIn a stirring speech against the Iraq War at Hyde Park at a February 2003 anti-war protest in London, Kennedy laid out his party's opposition to the conflict and Labour's choice to go to war.
"No more glad, confident morning for this shop-soiled Labour government. They seek to manage, not lead; to manipulate, not tell it as it is. I don’t actually subscribe to the view that all power corrupts. But absolute power – when secured on the back of massive parliamentary majorities, which don’t reflect the balance of political opinion in the country – can corrupt absolutely.
"The soul goes out of politics. So the system itself simply has to change. I tell you this. If the British House of Commons had known then what it knows now – about the events leading up to that fateful parliamentary debate and vote on committing our forces into war in Iraq – then the outcome could and should have been fundamentally different." (credit:Ben Sutherland/Flickr)
Admitting his drink problem (2006)(07 of10)
Open Image ModalKennedy fought a very public battle with alcoholism, and had been dogged by rumours of his drinking habit.
In 2006, he confirmed publicly that he was receiving treatment for it, pre-empting a TV news report that would have 'outed' him.
Two days later, Kennedy announced his resignation as Liberal Dem leader, after being forced to stand down by dwindling support among Lib Dem front benchers and threats of mass resignations if he stayed in position. (credit:Press Association)
University rector (2008)(08 of10)
Open Image ModalKennedy won the vote to become rector at the University of Glasgow, and served for six years, being re-elected once, before being succeeded by Edward Snowden , the whistleblower who leaked classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA). (credit:Andrew Milligan/PA Archive)
Double loss (2015)(09 of10)
Open Image ModalKennedy was one of many high-profile Liberal Democrats to lose their seats in what was a dismal night for the party in the 2015 election. Sources said that losing his seat to the SNP hit Charles Kennedy hard.
He said he intended to "contribute in whatever way possible to the wider political debate and the activity of the Liberal Democrats".
It had been a difficult few months for Kennedy, Paddy Ashdown told Sky News, after Kennedy's father Ian died during the election campaign, aged 88, after a long illness. (credit:Jeff J Mitchell via Getty Images)
Graceful in defeat (2015)(10 of10)
Open Image ModalIn his final tweet, Kennedy shared a blog post written the day after the election. It said: "It has been the greatest privilege of my adult and public life to have served, for 32 years, as the Member of Parliament for our local Highlands and Islands communities. I would particularly like to thank the generation of voters, and then some, who have put their trust in me to carry out that role and its responsibilities."
"The eligible candidates must reflect with care and collectively before we rush into the best way forward – out of this political debris we must build with thought and care.
The next few years in politics will come down to a tale of two Unions – the UK and the EU. Despite all the difficult challenges ahead the Liberal Democrat voice must and will be heard.
We did so over Iraq; we can do so again. Let us relish the prospect." (credit:Twitter)