Leaders
See also: List of leaders of the Liberal Democrats, Social and Liberal Democrats leadership election, 1988, Liberal Democrats leadership election, 1999, Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2006, and Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2007| Entered office | Left office | Date of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Steel 1 | 7 July 1987 | 16 July 1988 | 31 March 1938 |
| Robert Maclennan 2 | 6 August 1987 | 16 July 1988 | 26 June 1936 |
| Paddy Ashdown | 16 July 1988 | 9 August 1999 | 27 February 1941 |
| Charles Kennedy | 9 August 1999 | 7 January 2006 | 25 November 1959 |
| Sir Menzies Campbell 3 | 2 March 2006 | 15 October 2007 | 22 May 1941 |
| Vince Cable 4 | 15 October 2007 | 18 December 2007 | 9 May 1943 |
| Nick Clegg | 18 December 2007 | Incumbent | 7 January 1967 |
- 1 Joint interim leader, as leader of the Liberal Party before the merger.
- 2 Joint interim leader, as leader of the Social Democratic Party before the merger.
- 3 Interim leader between the resignation of Charles Kennedy on 7 January 2006 and his own election on 2 March 2006.
- 4 Interim leader between the resignation of Menzies Campbell on 15 October 2007 and the election of Nick Clegg on 18 December 2007.
Read more about this topic: Liberal Democrats
Famous quotes containing the word leaders:
“All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.”
—John Kenneth Galbraith (b. 1908)
“Unless the people can choose their leaders and rulers, and can revoke their choice at intervals long enough to test their measures by results, the government will be a tyranny exercised in the interests of whatever classes or castes or mobs or cliques have this choice.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“Most of the ladies and gentlemen who mourn the passing of the nation’s leaders wouldn’t know a leader if they saw one. If they had the bad luck to come across a leader, they would find out that he might demand something from them, and this impertinence would put an abrupt and indignant end to their wish for his return.”
—Lewis H. Lapham (b. 1935)