Brown leads UK tributes to Kennedy

Aug 26 2009

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has led UK tributes to Senator Edward Kennedy, saying he will be mourned in "every continent".

Mr Brown praised the senator for "fighting for the causes which were his life's work" even as he faced illness and death.

Politicians lined up to pay tribute to Mr Kennedy following the announcement from his family that the 77-year-old senator, who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour last year, had died.

Mr Brown said: "Senator Edward Kennedy will be mourned not just in America but in every continent. He is admired around the world as the senator of senators.

"He led the world in championing children's education and health care, and believed that every single child should have the chance to realise their potential to the full. Even facing illness and death, he never stopped fighting for the causes which were his life's work.

"I am proud to have counted him as a friend and proud that the United Kingdom recognised his service earlier this year with the award of an honorary knighthood."

Mr Kennedy made the single greatest contribution of any American to helping resolve the Northern Ireland problem according to one prominent Ulster politician.

Alex Attwood, a Social Democratic and Labour Party member of the Stormont Assembly, said: "I think his death is a great loss."

The West Belfast MLA added: "He made a huge contribution to the North, the single greatest contribution of any American politician of recent times - including Clinton."

He said he had been fortunate to have met Senator Kennedy twice, most recently in 2005. "He was all of the things you expected a Kennedy to be, he had great charm and enormous insight."