Campbell slams SNP for "despicable" campaign against the late Liberal Democrat leader
Sir Menzies Campbell publicly rebuked the SNP after the party’s Westminster team launched a series of remarks that he deemed "despicable" and aimed at undermining the reputation of Charles Kennedy. Campbell, who succeeded Kennedy as the Liberal Democrat leader in 2006, said the Scottish Nationalists must be held accountable for what he described as a coordinated smear effort. He warned that politicising a colleague’s recent death crossed a moral line and reflected a lack of respect for parliamentary decorum.
The criticism came at a time when the SNP was sharpening its messaging ahead of the 2015 general election, a contest that saw the party sweep 56 of Scotland’s 59 seats. In the storm of that campaign, the party’s Westminster spokesperson repeatedly referenced Kennedy’s record, implying that his leadership had weakened the Liberal Democrats and contributed to their historic losses. Campbell’s response was swift, framing the comments as an opportunistic attempt to rewrite history when emotions were still raw.
Background: Kennedy’s career, the 2015 election and the fallout
Charles Kennedy entered Parliament in 1983 representing Ross, Skye and Lochaber, a seat he held for more than three decades. He rose to national prominence as the Liberal Democrat leader from 1999 to 2006, presiding over a period of significant growth for the party. However, his tenure was plagued by personal struggles, most notably his battle with alcoholism, which culminated in his resignation in 2006.
After stepping down, Kennedy remained an MP, but his influence waned. The 2015 general election was a disaster for the Liberal Democrats, who fell from 57 seats to just eight, and Kennedy lost his own constituency to the SNP’s Ian Blackford. Less than a month later, on June 1, 2015, Kennedy died of a heart attack, prompting a wave of tributes across the political spectrum.
In the immediate aftermath, former SNP leader Alex Salmond made a series of comments that many, including Campbell, called "ill‑judged". Salmond suggested that Kennedy’s personal failings had contributed to the Liberal Democrats’ decline, a remark that was widely perceived as insensitive given the proximity to the former leader’s death. Campbell labelled those remarks as "out of order" and called for a more dignified approach to political debate.
- 1983 – Kennedy elected MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber.
- 1999‑2006 – Serves as Liberal Democrat leader.
- 2006 – Resigns after alcoholism becomes public; Campbell succeeds him.
- 2015 – Loses seat in a SNP landslide; dies weeks later.
- 2015 – Campbell condemns SNP’s post‑mortem attacks.
Campbell’s own relationship with Kennedy has been the subject of scrutiny. In later years, it emerged that Campbell was among a small group of senior aides who were aware of the full extent of Kennedy’s drinking problem and had chosen to keep it concealed from the public. While some critics allege a cover‑up, Campbell has consistently argued that his actions were motivated by a desire to protect Kennedy’s political career and personal dignity.
Regardless of those internal dynamics, Campbell’s current stance is clear: he will not allow the SNP to rewrite the narrative around Kennedy’s legacy. By framing the SNP’s comments as a targeted and immoral campaign, he is drawing a line between legitimate political critique and what he sees as an exploitation of a colleague’s death for partisan gain.