2018-18 Paddy Ashdown, 1941-2018
Monday, December 24, 2018
Deborda

Paddy was probably the bravest, most committed, most linguistically gifted of all post-war UK politicians.  

Here he is at our 2012 book launch in the House of Lords, (2011-9 and 2012-4), along with the late Elizabeth Meehan (2018-1) and his fellow lord, Mike Boyce. I first met Paddy back in the 70s at a Liberal Party function: we were both ex-military, both of Northern Ireland, and both of Belfast.  So he took me to Yeovil, and I was highly impressed by his energetic campaigning.  Our paths crossed again in Bosnia, where he was the much-loved High Representative, 2002-6. A Serbian friend of mine sat next to him, flying to London one year.  "Sarajevo?"  "Oh yes, I've been there," said Paddy, never one to boast.  We were often in touch, so I signed my next letter to him, boastfully, Srdačan Pozdrav, (Serbo-Croat for 'yours sincerely'); to which his secretary replied, Dear Srdačan Pozdrav.

Article originally appeared on After Jean-Charles de Borda, 1733-99 (http://www.deborda.org/).
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