Charles Kennedy, former UK Liberal Democrats leader, died of a major haemorrhage linked to his alcohol addiction, his family announced in a statement yesterday. Kennedy, a Scottish former Member of Parliament, died unexpectedly on Monday at the age of 55.

His family said in the statement, "Charles's death was caused by a major haemorrhage and the report makes clear this was a consequence of his battle with alcoholism. We are grateful to the many friends and also medical experts who sought to help down the years but ultimately this was an illness Charles could not conquer despite all the efforts he and others made."

They also spoke of the tributes that had been paid to the politician saying "It has become all too apparent to us how much Charles meant to so many people and how many lives he touched. We were grateful that his young son Donald was able to attend the Commons session where so many MPs spoke so warmly about his father. The words and images of that day, and of so many other tributes, will be there for us to look back on with pride in Charles, and Donald will always know what a special father he had."

On Wednesday, Members of Parliament from various political parties paid tribute to Kennedy. His ex-wife Sarah and 10-year-old son were in attendance to hear the tributes.

Despite a successful tenure as leader of the Liberal Democrats, Kennedy had to resign in 2006 as party leader due to his alcoholism. He was a Member of Parliament for 32 years until he lost his seat in last month's General Election.

Source: Wikinews