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uh former leader of the Liberal
uh
former
leader
of
the
Liberal
Democrats, Lord Menzies Campbell has died
Democrats
Lord
Menzies
Campbell
has
died
at the age of 84. He led the party from
at
the
age
of
84
He
led
the
party
from
2006 to 2007 and was an MP for North East
2006
to
2007
and
was
an
MP
for
North
East
F between 1987 and 2015. Let's speak to
F
between
1987
and
2015
Let's
speak
to
Since Menzies Campbell, another former Lib Dem
Since
Menzies
Campbell
another
former
Lib
Dem
leader and also Lord Vince Cable, sorry,
leader
and
also
Lord
Vince
Cable
sorry
another former leader of the Liberal
another
former
leader
of
the
Liberal
Democrats. Uh so Vince, thank you very
Democrats
Uh
so
Vince
thank
you
very
much for making the time to speak to us
much
for
making
the
time
to
speak
to
us
uh today. your reflections on Lord Ming
uh
today
your
reflections
on
Lord
Ming
Campbell.
Campbell
>> Well, it's it's very sad passing. Uh he
>>
Well
it's
it's
very
sad
passing
Uh
he
was a massively respected figure not
was
a
massively
respected
figure
not
just in the Lib Dems but in Scottish and
just
in
the
Lib
Dems
but
in
Scottish
and
wider British politics. I think he was
wider
British
politics
I
think
he
was
an absolutely key figure in in the
an
absolutely
key
figure
in
in
the
1990s. Um came to public prominence
1990s
Um
came
to
public
prominence
during the Iraq war when Charles Kennedy
during
the
Iraq
war
when
Charles
Kennedy
had set out a very bold and distinctive
had
set
out
a
very
bold
and
distinctive
policy of criticism. and Ming Campbell
policy
of
criticism
and
Ming
Campbell
backed this up with his legal, forensic
backed
this
up
with
his
legal
forensic
ability, debating skill and vast
ability
debating
skill
and
vast
knowledge of foreign affairs. And it
knowledge
of
foreign
affairs
And
it
made a very effective um campaign. Uh
made
a
very
effective
um
campaign
Uh
when Charles Kennedy stepped down, I
when
Charles
Kennedy
stepped
down
I
think it was natural that we should all
think
it
was
natural
that
we
should
all
look to uh Ming to lead the party, which
look
to
uh
Ming
to
lead
the
party
which
which he then did. But I think it wasn't
which
he
then
did
But
I
think
it
wasn't
just um as a politician. I mean, I think
just
um
as
a
politician
I
mean
I
think
he was widely liked and respected. I
he
was
widely
liked
and
respected
I
mean he wasn't a Yahoo politician. He he
mean
he
wasn't
a
Yahoo
politician
He
he
was always courteous uh had a sense of
was
always
courteous
uh
had
a
sense
of
you know decorum and and respect uh and
you
know
decorum
and
and
respect
uh
and
and had a very wide intellect. I mean he was
and
had
a
very
wide
intellect
I
mean
he
was
a, you know, in his day a great Olympic
a
you
know
in
his
day
a
great
Olympic
sprinter who brought great distinction
sprinter
who
brought
great
distinction
to the UK the fastest man in the world
to
the
UK
the
fastest
man
in
the
world
actually. Uh and I think it was his
actually
Uh
and
I
think
it
was
his
character as much as his politics that
character
as
much
as
his
politics
that
leaves a very positive memory for all of
leaves
a
very
positive
memory
for
all
of
us. Well, talk to us a little bit about
us
Well
talk
to
us
a
little
bit
about
his his character. You've described some
his
his
character
You've
described
some
of it there uh Since Cable, but give us
of
it
there
uh
Since
Cable
but
give
us
a little insight into what it was like
a
little
insight
into
what
it
was
like
to be around uh Lord Ming Campbell when
to
be
around
uh
Lord
Ming
Campbell
when
the cameras weren't there.
the
cameras
weren't
there
>> Well, he he he liked to do things in a
>>
Well
he
he
he
liked
to
do
things
in
a
in a proper way. I mean, he he wasn't
in
a
proper
way
I
mean
he
he
wasn't
looking for cheap political points. Uh
looking
for
cheap
political
points
Uh
he wanted things still to be done in in
he
wanted
things
still
to
be
done
in
in
a courteous way with colleagues and
a
courteous
way
with
colleagues
and
opponents. uh and he you know he didn't
opponents
uh
and
he
you
know
he
didn't
like uh people you know breaking I mean
like
uh
people
you
know
breaking
I
mean
I think the only time I ever felt out
I
think
the
only
time
I
ever
felt
out
fell out with him was when I uh set a
fell
out
with
him
was
when
I
uh
set
a
precedent by not going to a royal
precedent
by
not
going
to
a
royal
banquet for the king of Saudi Arabia and
banquet
for
the
king
of
Saudi
Arabia
and
he thought this was quite wrong very
he
thought
this
was
quite
wrong
very
offending the palace and they took me to
offending
the
palace
and
they
took
me
to
task for it uh and and so although he
task
for
it
uh
and
and
so
although
he
was a you know very very effective party
was
a
you
know
very
very
effective
party
politician and debated his points I mean
politician
and
debated
his
points
I
mean
he was a very skilled debater later came
he
was
a
very
skilled
debater
later
came
up through the Glasgow University Union
up
through
the
Glasgow
University
Union
with people like Charles Kennedy, Alex Salmond
with
people
like
Charles
Kennedy
Alex
Salmond
Salmon and John Smith. Uh he was always
Salmon
and
John
Smith
Uh
he
was
always
courteous and fair uh and greatly
courteous
and
fair
uh
and
greatly
respected for it.
respected
for
it
>> That courtesy would you say has been
>>
That
courtesy
would
you
say
has
been
lost then Since now in maybe one of the
lost
then
Since
now
in
maybe
one
of
the
the final few who had it? Well,
the
final
few
who
had
it
Well
we're now in a very different world
we're
now
in
a
very
different
world
where, you know, we have populist
where
you
know
we
have
populist
politics and uh very shortterm uh time
politics
and
uh
very
shortterm
uh
time
horizons and it's easy to make dishonest
horizons
and
it's
easy
to
make
dishonest
points and that was not his style. I
points
and
that
was
not
his
style
I
mean, he he uh it wasn't so much
mean
he
he
uh
it
wasn't
so
much
old-fashioned, but it it was based in in
old-fashioned
but
it
it
was
based
in
in
a a sort of history of British politics
a
a
sort
of
history
of
British
politics
where you treated your opponents with
where
you
treated
your
opponents
with
respect, but you you hit hard with with
respect
but
you
you
hit
hard
with
with
fair points. Uh and he was, you know, he
fair
points
Uh
and
he
was
you
know
he
operated in in that world. Um
operated
in
in
that
world
Um
>> and it would be hard I guess to to get
>>
and
it
would
be
hard
I
guess
to
to
get
it exactly as to how he would have felt
it
exactly
as
to
how
he
would
have
felt
but this current sort of political
but
this
current
sort
of
political
climate that we find ourselves in. Since
climate
that
we
find
ourselves
in
Since
would have seen our polling today that
would
have
seen
our
polling
today
that
sees a a reform government Nigel Farage
sees
a
a
reform
government
Nigel
Farage
as prime minister. I do wonder what Lord
as
prime
minister
I
do
wonder
what
Lord
Lord Campbell would have thought about
Lord
Campbell
would
have
thought
about
something like that.
something
like
that
>> Well, we we can't imagine these things
>>
Well
we
we
can't
imagine
these
things
but um I think it would have been
but
um
I
think
it
would
have
been
utterly apparent. I mean he was on he
utterly
apparent
I
mean
he
was
on
he
was very much in the kind of liberal
was
very
much
in
the
kind
of
liberal
internationalist tradition uh which was
internationalist
tradition
uh
which
was
why he was very effective in the role he
why
he
was
very
effective
in
the
role
he
played. I mean he was extremely
played
I
mean
he
was
extremely
knowledgeable about foreign affairs uh
knowledgeable
about
foreign
affairs
uh
had a very wide network uh and looked at
had
a
very
wide
network
uh
and
looked
at
these things you know constructively and
these
things
you
know
constructively
and
uh insisted that you know we follow the
uh
insisted
that
you
know
we
follow
the
rule of international law. that was the
rule
of
international
law
that
was
the
basis of his critique of the
basis
of
his
critique
of
the
government's policy and would be
government's
policy
and
would
be
appalled by I think the very arbitrary
appalled
by
I
think
the
very
arbitrary
way that the Trump administration is
way
that
the
Trump
administration
is
operating and his friends now marries in
operating
and
his
friends
now
marries
in
the UK.
the
UK
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