Frontbench Team of Paddy Ashdown
Encyclopedia
The list that follows is the Lib Dem
Frontbench Team/Shadow Cabinet led by Paddy Ashdown
, who was Party leader from 1988 to 1999. The Party formed a Shadow Cabinet following the 1997 general election
having doubled its number of MPs at that electin. Initially known as a Frontbench Team, the Lib Dems began to refer to their Frontbench Team as a Shadow Cabinet during the leadership of Ashdown's successor, Charles Kennedy
, although some controversy exists over whether or not it should be referred to as a Shadow Cabinet.
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
Frontbench Team/Shadow Cabinet led by Paddy Ashdown
Paddy Ashdown
Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC , usually known as Paddy Ashdown, is a British politician and diplomat....
, who was Party leader from 1988 to 1999. The Party formed a Shadow Cabinet following the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
having doubled its number of MPs at that electin. Initially known as a Frontbench Team, the Lib Dems began to refer to their Frontbench Team as a Shadow Cabinet during the leadership of Ashdown's successor, Charles Kennedy
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
, although some controversy exists over whether or not it should be referred to as a Shadow Cabinet.
Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team
- Leader of the Liberal Democrats - Paddy AshdownPaddy AshdownJeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC , usually known as Paddy Ashdown, is a British politician and diplomat....
- Deputy Leader with responsibility for the strategic direction of the Party in Parliament - Alan BeithAlan BeithSir Alan James Beith is a British Liberal Democrat politician and Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed.-Early life:Alan Beith was born in 1943 in Poynton, in Cheshire...
- Chief Whip and Shadow Leader of the House - Paul Tyler
- Deputy Whip - Andrew StunellAndrew StunellRobert Andrew Stunell, known as Andrew Stunell, OBE is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He is the Member of Parliament for Hazel Grove, and was first elected at the 1997 general election...
- Whips -
- Edward DaveyEdward DaveyEdward Jonathan "Ed" Davey is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Kingston and Surbiton since 1997, and in May 2010 was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
- Donald GorrieDonald GorrieDonald Cameron Easterbrook Gorrie is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician, and former Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Scotland Region. He was also a Member of Parliament from 1997 until 2001, representing Edinburgh West....
- Adrian SandersAdrian SandersAdrian Mark Sanders is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He is the Member of Parliament for Torbay in Devon.-Personal life:...
- Edward Davey
- Party President - Robert MaclennanRobert Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of RogartRobert Adam Ross "Bob" Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart PC is a British Liberal Democrat life peer. He was the last leader of the Social Democratic Party , serving during the negotiations that led to its merger with the Liberal Party in 1988...
- Agriculture and Rural Affairs - Charles KennedyCharles KennedyCharles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
- Food - Paul Tyler
- Fisheres - Andrew George
- Constitution - Robert Maclennan
- Spokesman for English Regions - Nick HarveyNick HarveyNicholas Barton "Nick" Harvey is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for North Devon and the Minister of State for the Armed Forces.-Early life and education:...
- Scotland - Jim WallaceJim WallaceThe Rt. Hon. James Robert Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, PC, QC , is a British politician, currently a life peer in the House of Lords and the Advocate General for Scotland...
- Wales - Richard Livsey
- Culture, Media and Sport/Civil Service - Robert Maclennan
- Arts and Broadcasting - Robert Maclennan
- Tourism - Ronnie Fearn
- Sport - Nigel JonesNigel Jones, Baron Jones of CheltenhamNigel David Jones, Baron Jones of Cheltenham is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
- Disabled People - Paul BurstowPaul BurstowPaul Kenneth Burstow , British politician, is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Sutton and Cheam. In May 2010 he was appointed Minister of State for the Department of Health.-Early life:...
- Education and Employment - Don Foster
- Nursery Education and Schools; Labour market statistics - Don Foster
- Further, higher and adult education - Phil WillisPhil WillisGeorge Philip Willis, Baron Willis of Knaresborough is a politician in the United Kingdom. He is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords, and was Member of Parliament for Harrogate and Knaresborough from 1997 until retiring at the 2010 general election...
- Employment and training - Paul KeetchPaul KeetchPaul Stuart Keetch is an English Liberal Democrat politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Hereford from 1997 to 2010.-Early life:...
- Environment and Transport -
- Matthew Taylor
- Norman BakerNorman BakerNorman John Baker is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Lewes in East Sussex since 1997. Since May 2010 he has been Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Department for Transport....
- Tom BrakeTom BrakeThomas Anthony Brake, known as Tom Brake, British Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Carshalton and Wallington.-Early life:Tom Brake was born in Melton Mowbray, moving to France when he was eight...
- Sir Robert Smith
- Andrew Stunell
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Europe - Menzies CampbellMenzies CampbellSir Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, CBE, QC, MP is a British Liberal Democrat politician and advocate, and a retired sprinter. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Fife, and was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.Campbell held the British record...
- Foreign and Commonwealth, Europe and Defence - Menzies Campbell
- Defence - Mike Hancock
- Europe - David Heath
- International Development - Jenny TongeJenny TongeJennifer Louise Tonge, Baroness Tonge is a politician in the United Kingdom. She was Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Richmond Park in London from 1997 to 2005.-Early life:...
- Health - Simon HughesSimon HughesSimon Henry Ward Hughes is a British politician and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats. He is Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark. Until 2008 he was President of the Liberal Democrats...
- Future of the NHS - Simon Hughes
- Public Health - Peter BrandPeter BrandPeter Brand is a United Kingdom general practitioner and Liberal Democrat politician. He was elected Member of Parliament for the Isle of Wight at the 1997 general election after coming second in 1992, but lost his seat to the Conservatives at the 2001 election...
- NHS Staff, organisation and planning - Evan HarrisEvan HarrisEvan Leslie Harris is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon from 1997 to 2010, losing his seat in the 2010 general election by 176 votes to Conservative Nicola Blackwood....
- Home and Legal Affairs - Alan Beith
- Home Affairs - Alan Beith
- Community relations and urban affairs - Richard AllanRichard AllanRichard Beecroft Allan, Baron Allan of Hallam was the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam from the general election of Thursday 2 May 1997 until the dissolution of Parliament on 11 April 2005...
- Legal Affairs (Attorney General; Solicitor General; Lord Chancellor) -
- John BurnettJohn Burnett, Baron BurnettJohn Patrick Aubone Burnett, Baron Burnett is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom, and was a Member of Parliament for Torridge and West Devon between 1997 and 2005 general elections...
- Bob Russell
- John Burnett
- Local Government and Housing - Paul Burstow
- Local Government (Social Services and Community Care) - Paul Burstow
- Local Council Liaison - Paul Burstow
- Jackie BallardJackie BallardJacqueline Margaret Ballard has been a politician and journalist in the United Kingdom. She was the Director General of the RSPCA, and took up post as CEO of the RNID on 22 October 2007....
- Adrian SandersAdrian SandersAdrian Mark Sanders is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He is the Member of Parliament for Torbay in Devon.-Personal life:...
- Jackie Ballard
- Trade and Industry - David Chidgey
- Employment, Social Chapter and Minimum Wage - David Chigley
- Science and Technology - David Chigley
- Competition - Nigel Jones
- Small Business -
- Colin BreedColin BreedColin Edward Breed is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for South East Cornwall from 1997 until he stood down at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
- Brian Cotter
- Colin Breed
- Treasury -
- Malcolm BruceMalcolm BruceMalcolm Gray Bruce, MP is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Gordon. He has been the chairman of the International Development Select Committee since 2005.-Early life:...
- Edward DaveyEdward DaveyEdward Jonathan "Ed" Davey is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Kingston and Surbiton since 1997, and in May 2010 was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
- Vince Cable
- Malcolm Bruce
- Wales -
- Richard Livsey
- Lembit OpikLembit ÖpikLembit Öpik is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Montgomeryshire in Wales from 1997 until he lost his seat in the 2010 General Election...
- Women - Jackie Ballard
- Young People - Lembit Opik
Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords
- Leader in the Lords - Roy Jenkins, Lord Jenkins of HillheadRoy JenkinsRoy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
- Chief Whip - Lord Rodgers of QuarrybankWilliam Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry BankWilliam Thomas Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank, PC , usually known as William Rodgers but also often known as Bill Rodgers, was one of the "Gang of Four" of senior British Labour Party politicians who defected to form the Social Democratic Party...
External links
- Weekly Information Bulletin: 28th November 1998, www.parliament.uk