I understand your point about his choice of political party, but perhaps as a liberal, when PA went into politics in 1975 his heart-felt conviction was that the Labour Party at that time wasn’t for him. Apparently he was appalled by the mid-70’s strife in our country, so opted for a middle ground. At that stage he was just another budding politician, so followed his beliefs, not second guessing on mch later becoming a prominent figure.
I don't have any particular issue with him, and as I noted, it is sad he died quite young. I do think it reasonable to point out, however, that he was a big fish in a small pond. To be a great man in politics the first thing you need to do is get elected in the party of government. It strikes me as odd as an 'action man' for him to sign up for a party that can never win. He should have gone Tory and acted as his convictions saw fit. There are plenty of decent tories. He may have done some good things in his time but he was never a great statesman. He effected no change. His biggest contribution, as noted on the TV news, was to his party: he brough a bit of glamour and stardust, and a bit of manly pizazz to a party formery known for gay rights, boycotting South Africa, and dissolving itself under the baleful but beguiling smile of Doctor David ****ing Owen. Anyway, I prefer Vince Cable. He gets almost everything right.